Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Some children develop pneumonia, caused by ...

(Reuters Health) - After one of the hospitals set guidelines for how to treat children with pneumonia, the number eligible for a shot of antibiotics, a new study finds. Pneumonia refers to inflammation in the lungs caused by infection. In infants and preschool children, pneumonia is usually caused by a virus, and infection are alone. Some children developed pneumonia caused by bacteria, but those cases are usually more serious - with symptoms like high fever and breathing problems that require antibiotics and sometimes hospitalization. In accordance with the guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the majority of children hospitalized with bacterial pneumonia have to get older, penicillin, ampicillin as antibiotic called - rather than new, more powerful antibiotics that kill a wide range of bacteria. These principles were published only last year that U.S. hospitals have historically been alone in coming up with a treatment plan. "There are a lot variability," said Dr. Jason G. Newland, who worked on the new study. His center, Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, was ahead of IDSA guidelines. In 2008, hospitals set their own guidelines say that children with "simple" bacterial pneumonia should receive ampicillin. And, based on a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, the motion was to change the habits of physicians. Last year the administration, only 13 percent of children hospitalized with bacterial pneumonia were ampicillin. It jumped to 63 percent a year, after the user has entered into force. In contrast, during the previous administration was, 72 percent of the children received ceftriaxone (Rocephin), a new "broad spectrum" antibiotic. Broad spectrum antibiotic to kill a number of bacteria. The problem, Newland explained that misuse antibiotics like ceftriaxone can lead to antibiotic resistance - this means that the drug is ineffective against at least some of the mistakes he intended to kill. Ampicillin, however, a narrow spectrum drug that fights the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children - pneumococcus. And Newland team found that the transition to ampicillin did not seem strattera dosing to cause any harm. In prewar years, management, 1. 5 percent of 530 children were treatment "failure" - ie pneumonia worse and require more medications or invasive treatments. This rate was one percentage point a year after the management began. "There was fear, ampicillin is not good enough?" Newland said. But this study helps confirm that ampicillin is safe and effective for children pneumonia, the team says Newland. "And it gives credibility to the new national (IDSA) principles," Newland said. Why was ceftriaxone antibiotics in the hospital a choice, Newland said he suspects that at least in part because the drug is easy to use. It is only to be once a day, making it overall choice in pediatrics. But the principles, as IDSA, aimed at winning greater number of patients with antibiotics that are most effective, safe and less likely to feed the big problem of resistance to antibiotics. "We try to standardize these things to improve the quality of medical care," said Newland. For parents, he noted that the results are a reminder that new and more powerful does not always mean better. "Some people ask (newer antibiotics)," Newland said. "There's a feeling that the more the better. But these antibiotics (ampicillin, a) is good, because they are less in focus. "


Parents also can protect their children from developing pneumonia in the first place, highlights, IDSA. Children, like adults, often develop bacterial pneumonia after viral infections, including influenza. It is therefore important, IDSA says, for children aged six months and older be vaccinated against influenza annually, and be up to date with all recommended vaccinations. Source: Pediatrics, online February 20, 2012. .

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