An observational study in Community Acquired Pneumonia in Children and Antibiotic Stewardship, sponsored by ARCIM Institute Academic Research in Complementary and Integrative Medicine. Recruiting at 2 sites in Germany. Open to participants aged 3 Months to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-17.
Sponsored by ARCIM Institute Academic Research in Complementary and Integrative Medicine · Observational
A study to observe how often antibiotics are prescribed in children hospitalized for pneumonia and how doctors decide if a child needs antibiotics or not. Parent satisfaction will also be recorded.
An observational study to document the antibiotic treatment rate of children hospitalized for community acquired pneumonia at a pediatric department with longstanding practice of restrictive antibiotic prescribing. Patients will be enrolled consecutively and treated according to in-house standard operating procedure. Antibiotic treatment rate, severity of disease and medical complication rate in antibiotic and non-antibiotic managed children, frequency of predefined factors in physician decision making on antibiotic use, and parental satisfaction will be recorded. Parents will be contacted at least 4 weeks after discharge to inquire about recurrence or readmission.
Children (aged 3 months to 18 years) who are hospitalized for pneumonia.
Exclusion Criteria:
Children with non-severe community acquired pneumonia and fever: managed with antibiotics
Other: Antibiotic treatment
Children with non-severe community acquired pneumonia and fever: managed without antibiotics
Other: No antibiotic treatment
Antibiotic treatment
No antibiotic treatment
Antibiotic treatment rates in hospitalized children with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia and fever
Rates of treatment with and without antibiotics during hospitalization
Time frame: During hospitalization, an average of 7 days
Number of medical complications
Medical complications defined as a) admission to intensive care, mechanical ventilation, transfer to tertiary car center OR b) pleural effusion or empyema, pneumothorax, lung abscess, bronchopleural fistula, necrotizing pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, infectious complication (meningitis, septic shock).
Time frame: During hospitalization, an average of 7 days
Factors in physician decision making on antibiotic prescription
Physician questionnaire (closed-ended questions)
Time frame: During hospitalization, an average of 7 days
Parental satisfaction
Parental satisfaction questionnaire (closed-ended questions)
Time frame: At discharge, assessing the entire duration of the hospital stay, an average of 7 days
Hospitalization duration
Number of hospitalization days
Time frame: At discharge, assessing the entire duration of the hospital stay, an average of 7 days
Number of children with relevant comorbidity
Co-morbidities that may affect decision on antimicrobial use: a) chronic conditions (e.g. neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome; or chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis; or heart conditions). b) acute infectious comorbidities: bronchiolitis, otitis media, urinary tract infection, confirmed influenza virus or Respiratory Syncytial Virus or SARS-CoV2.
Time frame: During hospitalization, an average of 7 days
Days of supplemental oxygen use
Oxygen therapy for O2 saturation \<92%
Time frame: During hospitalization, an average of 7 days
Use of antipyretic medications
Number of doses of paracetamol or ibuprofen during hospitalization
Time frame: During hospitalization, an average of 7 days
Number of complementary medicine medications used per child
Number of complementary medication during hospitalization
Time frame: During hospitalization, an average of 7 days
Number of readmissions for pneumonia or new pneumonia recurrences within 4 weeks of hospital discharge
New hospital admission for pneumonia; treatment requiring recurrence of pneumonia
Time frame: 4 weeks after end of hospitalization
Plan to share: Yes — IPD that underlie results in a publication
Supporting information: Study protocol, Icf
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ARCIM Institute Academic Research in Complementary and Integrative Medicine