We are pleased to announce that the PediCAP trial have successfully passed its 25% recruitment milestone with more than 400 patients successfully randomised into their arms. PediCAP will determine whether children hospitalised for severe or very severe pneumonia, do better on co-amoxiclav or amoxicillin oral step-down therapy and how long these children should continue to receive antibiotic treatment.
Currently, the WHO recommends that children with severe or very severe pneumonia receive injectable antibiotics for at least five days as these antibiotics cover a wide range of bacterial pathogens than oral amoxicillin alone. However, this means that these children will stay in the hospital longer, incur high healthcare and societal costs, and have an increased risk of acquiring nosocomial infection and multidrug-resistant colonising bacteria.
Alongside the trial, PediCAP aims to advance the development of optimal doses and formulations of antibiotics for children and clear indications for the initiation of oral step-down therapy. Data generated through the trial could provide relevant information to inform current and future WHO antibiotic prescribing guidelines for children.
Find out more about PediCAP by visiting the project website here.
PediCAP is funded by the EDCTP and coordinated by Penta.
Photo by himarkley from Getty Images Signature