Antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia in children: is intravenous delivery necessary?
Evaluation of: Atkinson M, Lakhanpaul M, Smyth A et al. A multicentre randomised controlled equivalence trial comparing oral amoxicillin and intravenous benzyl penicillin for community acquired pneumonia in children PIVOT Trial. Thorax DOI: 10.1136/thx.2006.074906 (2007) (Epub ahead of print). Children with radiologically confirmed community-acquired pneumonia are frequently admitted to hospital and treated with parenteral antibiotics, yet oral antibiotics are well absorbed and are effective against the main bacterial agent, Streptococcus pneumoniae. The current randomized study evaluates for equivalence of oral versus intravenous antibiotics in previously healthy children admitted to hospital with moderate/severe pneumonia. Oral antibiotic treatment was found to be equivalent and associated with a shorter duration of hospital stay.
Thomson
Anne H
AH
The John Radcliffe, Oxford Children's Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX9 3DU, UK. anne.thomson@orh.nhs.uk