The PediCAP project, dedicated to investigating antibiotic therapy for severe and very severe childhood community-acquired pneumonia, actively participated in the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) forum held in France from Nov 7-10, 2023. The project addresses a critical gap in paediatric healthcare, particularly for children living in resource-limited settings where childhood pneumonia remains a leading cause of hospitalisation and high mortality rates.
Community-acquired pneumonia remains a widespread concern, particularly in resource-limited settings. The World Health Organization emphasises the pivotal role of antibiotics in managing childhood pneumonia and currently recommends injectable antibiotic regimens due to their broader coverage of bacterial viruses. However, this approach leads to prolonged hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and an increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and exposure to multidrug-resistant bacteria.
The PediCAP trial aims to provide robust data supporting a safe transition from injectable to oral antibiotics for children hospitalised for severe and very severe pneumonia. Such a shift would not only enhance the spectrum of bacterial coverage but also enable earlier discharge, thus mitigating the burdens of extended hospitalisation.
Three abstract posters and one oral presentation based on the PediCAP project were presented at the EDCTP forum.
Abstract Posters:
- External factors affecting recruitment in a global paediatric pneumonia trial: lessons learned from PediCAP
- Building a national network for inpatient pediatric clinical research in Mozambique
- Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic for Participant Recruitment and Follow-up: Experiences from the PediCAP Clinical Trial Consortium
Oral Presentation:
PediCAP’s main trial completed recruitment early this year and the pharmacokinetics sub-study aims to complete recruitment in early 2024. The insights gained will not only contribute to the global understanding of childhood pneumonia but also pave the way for more effective and sustainable treatment strategies that reduce the burden of severe and very severe childhood community-acquired pneumonia and lower the risk of antimicrobial resistance.