Clinical Trial: Effects of Viral and Bacterial Co-infections in Otherwise Healthy Children Hospitalized in Pediatric Department

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Potential Clinical and Biological Effects of Viral and Bacterial Co-infections in Otherwise Healthy Children in Pediatric Department

Brief Summary:

Co-occurence of multiple pathogens in children is a known phenomenon, however the potential effect on the probability to develop a disease and on its severity, as well as the relationships between them, has not been studied adequately.

In this study, children admitted to the pediatric department with a clinical presentation of an infectious disease were tested for the presence of multiple pathogens. Data about their clinical status and about the accessory examinations performed during hospitalization were collected and analyzed.

Detailed Summary:

Introduction The relationship between viral and bacterial infections in the respiratory tract in children has long been learnt and documented in the medical literature. A large scale American study which was held during the "swine flu" (influenza A H1N1) pandemic in 2009-2010 documented pneumonia (or other pulmonary infection) of bacterial source in one third of the patients admitted to intensive care units (PICU - Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) [1]. Similar data and even higher incidence rates also exist for bronchiolitis caused by RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) [2]. These and similar studies raise questions about the real need for antibiotic treatment and whether it is being judiciously prescribed (as it turned out, for example, that there are places in the world where 30-90% of the viral bronchiolitis cases are treated with antibiotics [3]), which puts the patient at risk for side effects and potentially increases bacterial resistance. Moreover, one cannot ignore the fact that otherwise healthy children and children with comorbidity (such as chronic carrier state or relevant background disease) are not always being addressed separately in these studies. Despite all this, there is consensus that children with respiratory viral disease, mainly one that requires hospitalization in PICU, will benefit from empirical antibiotic treatment [4, 5]. On the other hand, when it comes to the potential impact of antiviral treatment on the course of a pulmonary bacterial disease during infection with influenza virus, the results are not encouraging, but the seasonal vaccination plays a key role in reducing the above morbidity [6]. As to whether the presence of a viral infection at the same time affects the severity of pulmonary bacterial infection (i.e. The disease is more serious than that of a viral origin only), there is evidence demonstrating an increase in mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration
Sponsor: Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

Current Primary Outcome: number of patients with co-infections [ Time Frame: 2 years ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Types and species of pathogens [ Time Frame: 2 years ]

Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

Dates:
Date Received: December 2, 2014
Date Started: June 2014
Date Completion:
Last Updated: December 19, 2014
Last Verified: December 2014