Children suffering from pneumonia could be spared the pain of the doctor’s needle, thanks to new research funded by the British Lung Foundation.
The study, a world-first carried out by researchers at The University of Nottingham, discovered that children given oral treatment recovered as quickly, suffered less pain, required less oxygen therapy in hospital and were able to go home sooner than those given injections.
Two-and-a-half million children are affected by pneumonia each year in Europe. Until now, most children have been admitted to hospital and treated with injected antibiotics.
The findings suggest that these injections — endured by generations of children — may be unnecessary and could be replaced with oral doses of the medicine in the majority of cases. The study has been published online in the medical journal Thorax.
The research involved 243 children in hospitals throughout the UK. It was led by Terence Stephenson, Professor of Child Health, and Dr Maria Atkinson, both of The University of Nottingham’s Medical School.
The study is the first in the developed world to compare oral treatment versus intravenous (IV) treatment for children with community-acquired pneumonia, who are unwell enough to need admission to hospital.
Professor Stephenson said: “This is good news for children who hate injections; good news for parents whose children will spend less time in hospital; good news for paediatricians who hate sticking needles in children and good news for the NHS, as fewer beds will be occupied and the treatment is cheaper.”
Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: “Treating childhood pneumonia will be less painful and distressing for parents, for children and for the health professionals caring for them, thanks to this research. We are very proud to have made this breakthrough possible.”
The research project involved 243 children, enrolled over a 21-month period at eight UK hospitals. Half were randomly assigned to receive a week of oral antibiotic treatment and half to receive antibiotics intravenously.
Follow-up over subsequent weeks showed that both types of treatment are effective in tackling the illness — and the former actually had a number of advantages over the latter. Oral antibiotics are also cheaper than those given via the IV route.
The researchers concluded: “We suggest that in countries like the UK, all but the sickest children with community-acquired pneumonia should be treated with oral amoxicillin initially.
“We expect that the majority of children will still require hospital admission but for a shorter period, to ensure oral medication is tolerated, and temperature and respiratory distress are settling. Most importantly children will be spared the pain and distress that injections cause.”
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham is Britain's University of the Year (The Times Higher Awards 2006). It undertakes world-changing research, provides innovative teaching and a student experience of the highest quality. Ranked by Newsweek in the world's Top 75 universities, its academics have won two Nobel Prizes since 2003. The University is an international institution with campuses in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and China.
The British Lung Foundation is the only UK charity working for everyone affected by lung disease. The charity focuses its resources on providing support for people affected by lung disease today; and works in a variety of ways (including funding world-class research) to bring about positive change, to improve treatment, care and support for people affected by lung disease in the future.
Respiratory disease is the most commonly reported long-term illness in children and the third most commonly reported in adults.
More information is available from Professor Terence Stephenson, Professor of Child Health, Nottingham University Medical School on 44-(0)-115-823-0019, terence.stephenson@nottingham.ac.uk; Media Relations Manager Tim Utton in the University’s Media and Public Relations Office on 44-(0)-115-846-8092, tim.utton@nottingham.ac.uk; or Julia Shipston, Press Officer, British Lung Foundation on 44-(0)-20-7688-5564, Julia.Shipston@blf-uk.org