Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Supported by the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, this project aims to replicate work undertaken in Vietnam to reduce the overuse of antibiotics for children presenting with lower respiratory tract infections. The aim of this project is to improve the distinction of viral versus bacterial lower respiratory tract infections, the most common infectious disease (and the greatest cause of death) in children worldwide. Replicating a previously successful project instituted by Dr. Phuong TK Nguyen and Dr. Ben J Marais in Vietnam, this collaboration, led by Dr Gayana Gunaratna and supported by our team at The University of Sydney, aims to improve the diagnostic distinction between viral and bacterial infections to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, which alleviates the propagation of antimicrobial resistance. Concurrently, this study is also collecting data to evaluate the burden of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonisation in children in Sri Lanka, to inform the need for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine programs within the country.
Further reading:
- Nguyen PT, Nguyen TT, Huynh LT, Graham SM, Marais BJ. Clinical algorithm reduces antibiotic use among children presenting with respiratory symptoms to hospital in central Vietnam. Pneumonia 2023;15(1).
- Nguyen PTK, Tran HT, Fitzgerald DA, Thach, Graham SM, Marais BJ. Characterisation of children hospitalised with pneumonia in central Vietnam: a prospective study. European Respiratory Journal [Internet] 2019;54(1):1802256.
- Nguyen PTK, Tran HT, Tran TS, Fitzgerald DA, Graham SM, Marais BJ. Predictors of Unlikely Bacterial Pneumonia and Adverse Pneumonia Outcome in Children Admitted to a Hospital in Central Vietnam. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Apr 10;70(8):1733-1741.
- Nguyen PT, Tran HT, Fitzgerald DA, Graham SM, Marais BJ. Antibiotic use in children hospitalised with pneumonia in Central Vietnam. Arch Dis Child. 2020 Aug;105(8):713-719.
- Phuong NTK, Hoang TT, Van PH, Tu L, Graham SM, Marais BJ. Encouraging rational antibiotic use in childhood pneumonia: a focus on Vietnam and the Western Pacific Region. Pneumonia. 2017 Apr 25;9:7.
