Authors' objectives: Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for children with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections, but there is little randomised evidence to support the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating these infections, either overall or relating to key clinical subgroups in which antibiotic prescribing is common (chest signs; fever; physician rating of unwell; sputum/rattly chest; shortness of breath). To estimate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of amoxicillin for uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections in children both overall and in clinical subgroups. Children are commonly prescribed antibiotics for chest infections, but such infections are becoming resistant to antibiotics, and it is not clear if antibiotics work in treating them. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat. Antibiotics are very commonly prescribed for children presenting with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infection, but there is little randomised evidence of the effectiveness of antibiotics for treating these, either overall or among key clinical subgroups. The objective was to undertake a trial of antibiotics for children presenting with lower respiratory tract infection in primary care, with a parallel observational study.

Authors' results and conclusions: A total of 432 children were randomised (antibiotics, n = 221; placebo, n = 211). The primary analysis imputed missing data for 115 children. The duration of moderately bad symptoms was similar in the antibiotic and placebo groups overall (median of 5 and 6 days, respectively; hazard ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 1.42), with similar results for subgroups, and when including antibiotic prescription data from the 326 children in the observational study. Reconsultations for new or worsening symptoms (29.7% and 38.2%, respectively; risk ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 1.05), illness progression requiring hospital assessment or admission (2.4% vs. 2.0%) and side effects (38% vs. 34%) were similar in the two groups. Complete-case (n = 317) and per-protocol (n = 185) analyses were similar, and the presence of bacteria did not mediate antibiotic effectiveness. NHS costs per child were slightly higher (antibiotics, £29; placebo, £26), with no difference in non-NHS costs (antibiotics, £33; placebo, £33). A model predicting complications (with seven variables: baseline severity, difference in respiratory rate from normal for age, duration of prior illness, oxygen saturation, sputum/rattly chest, passing urine less often, and diarrhoea) had good discrimination (bootstrapped area under the receiver operator curve 0.83) and calibration. Parents found it difficult to interpret symptoms and signs, used the sounds of the child’s cough to judge the severity of illness, and commonly consulted to receive a clinical examination and reassurance. Parents acknowledged that antibiotics should be used only when ‘necessary’, and clinicians noted a reduction in parents’ expectations for antibiotics. Amoxicillin for uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections in children is unlikely to be clinically effective or to reduce health or societal costs. Parents need better access to information, as well as clear communication about the self-management of their child’s illness and safety-netting. After seeing the doctor, parents whose children received antibiotics rated infective symptoms as moderately bad or worse for 5 days, and parents whose children received the placebo rated these for 6 days. Side effects and complications were similar in the two groups. Findings were similar when including the results of the observational study, and for children in whose chest the doctor could hear wheeze or rattles; who had fever; who were rated by the doctor as more unwell, who were short of breath, or who had had bacteria detected in the throat. The costs to the NHS per child were similar (antibiotics, £29; placebo, £26), and the wider costs to society were the same (antibiotics, £33; placebo, £33). Parents found it difficult to interpret their child’s symptoms, and commonly used the sound of the cough to judge severity. Parents commonly consulted to receive an examination and reassurance, and accepted that antibiotics should be used only when ‘necessary’. Clinicians noted a reduction in parents’ expectations for antibiotics. Amoxicillin for chest infections in children is unlikely to be effective. General practitioners should support parents to self-manage at home and give clear communication about when and how to seek medical help if they continue to be concerned. Implications for clinical care Amoxicillin for uncomplicated chest infections in children makes little difference to symptom burden or to health or societal costs. Better access to information is needed to support parents’ decision-making, as is clear clinician communication about the self-management of their child’s illness and safety-netting. A prognostic score using variables that can be collected very easily during consultations can be used to identify children who are at low risk of illness progression.

Authors' recommendations: A total of 432 children were randomised (antibiotics, n = 221; placebo, n = 211). The primary analysis imputed missing data for 115 children. The duration of moderately bad symptoms was similar in the antibiotic and placebo groups overall (median of 5 and 6 days, respectively; hazard ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 1.42), with similar results for subgroups, and when including antibiotic prescription data from the 326 children in the observational study. Reconsultations for new or worsening symptoms (29.7% and 38.2%, respectively; risk ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 1.05), illness progression requiring hospital assessment or admission (2.4% vs. 2.0%) and side effects (38% vs. 34%) were similar in the two groups. Complete-case (n = 317) and per-protocol (n = 185) analyses were similar, and the presence of bacteria did not mediate antibiotic effectiveness. NHS costs per child were slightly higher (antibiotics, £29; placebo, £26), with no difference in non-NHS costs (antibiotics, £33; placebo, £33). A model predicting complications (with seven variables: baseline severity, difference in respiratory rate from normal for age, duration of prior illness, oxygen saturation, sputum/rattly chest, passing urine less often, and diarrhoea) had good discrimination (bootstrapped area under the receiver operator curve 0.83) and calibration. Parents found it difficult to interpret symptoms and signs, used the sounds of the child’s cough to judge the severity of illness, and commonly consulted to receive a clinical examination and reassurance. Parents acknowledged that antibiotics should be used only when ‘necessary’, and clinicians noted a reduction in parents’ expectations for antibiotics. Amoxicillin for uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections in children is unlikely to be clinically effective or to reduce health or societal costs. Parents need better access to information, as well as clear communication about the self-management of their child’s illness and safety-netting. After seeing the doctor, parents whose children received antibiotics rated infective symptoms as moderately bad or worse for 5 days, and parents whose children received the placebo rated these for 6 days. Side effects and complications were similar in the two groups. Findings were similar when including the results of the observational study, and for children in whose chest the doctor could hear wheeze or rattles; who had fever; who were rated by the doctor as more unwell, who were short of breath, or who had had bacteria detected in the throat. The costs to the NHS per child were similar (antibiotics, £29; placebo, £26), and the wider costs to society were the same (antibiotics, £33; placebo, £33). Parents found it difficult to interpret their child’s symptoms, and commonly used the sound of the cough to judge severity. Parents commonly consulted to receive an examination and reassurance, and accepted that antibiotics should be used only when ‘necessary’. Clinicians noted a reduction in parents’ expectations for antibiotics. Amoxicillin for chest infections in children is unlikely to be effective. General practitioners should support parents to self-manage at home and give clear communication about when and how to seek medical help if they continue to be concerned. Implications for clinical care Amoxicillin for uncomplicated chest infections in children makes little difference to symptom burden or to health or societal costs. Better access to information is needed to support parents’ decision-making, as is clear clinician communication about the self-management of their child’s illness and safety-netting. A prognostic score using variables that can be collected very easily during consultations can be used to identify children who are at low risk of illness progression.

Authors' methods: Placebo-controlled trial with qualitative, observational and cost-effectiveness studies. UK general practices. Children aged 1–12 years with acute uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections. Children were randomised to receive 50 mg/kg/day of oral amoxicillin in divided doses for 7 days, or placebo using pre-prepared packs, using computer-generated random numbers by an independent statistician. Children who were not randomised could participate in a parallel observational study. Semistructured telephone interviews explored the views of 16 parents and 14 clinicians, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Throat swabs were analysed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The study was underpowered to detect small benefits in key subgroups. A total of 432 children who saw their general practitioner with a chest infection were given either an antibiotic (amoxicillin) or a placebo (no antibiotic) for 7 days. Symptom diaries documented the infection’s duration and its side effects. Children not in the placebo study were able to participate in another study that documented the same outcomes (an ‘observational study’). We interviewed parents, doctors and nurses about their observations and concerns. Our patient and public involvement and engagement work with parents indicated that a 3-day symptom reduction was required to justify giving antibiotics. This was a placebo-controlled trial with qualitative research and health economic analysis, and a parallel observational cohort. UK general practices. Participants were children aged between 6 months and 12 years presenting to primary care with an acute lower respiratory tract infection, defined as one in which an acute cough is the predominant symptom and judged by the general practitioner (GP) to be infective in origin, lasting < 21 days, and with other symptoms or signs localising to the lower respiratory tract (shortness of breath, sputum, pain), and in whom pneumonia was not suspected clinically. Children were randomised to receive 50 mg/kg/day oral amoxicillin in divided doses for 7 days, or placebo, using pre-prepared packs randomised by an independent statistician using computer-generated random numbers. Children whom clinicians were unwilling to randomise or parents who were unwilling for their child to be randomised were invited to participate in an observational study in which the same data as in the trial were collected. The revised target sample size (agreed with the Trial Steering Committee, the Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee and the funder) to detect an important clinical difference of 3 days in symptoms duration was 298 participants for 80% power and 398 participants for 90% power. Semistructured interviews were used to explore the views of management and the decisions to participate in the trial. Parents were purposefully sampled by whether they took part in the trial or the observational study, and by practice. Clinicians who recruited participants into the study were also invited to take part in a telephone interview. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Throat swabs were analysed for the presence of bacteria and viruses by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis Cox regression was used for the primary outcome and for total symptom duration, adjusting for age, baseline symptom severity, prior duration of illness and comorbidity. Linear regression was used for symptom severity, and logistic regression was used for reconsultation, progression of illness and side effects, adjusting for the same baseline covariates as in the primary analysis. Analysis was by intention to treat, as randomised regardless of non-adherence or protocol deviations. Multiple imputation was used as the primary analysis, comprising all variables from the analysis model and any predictors of missingness, and using 100 imputations. Prespecified subgroup analyses were carried out on chest signs, sputum/rattly chest, history of fever, physician rating of unwell, shortness of breath, oxygen saturation below 95%, and STARWAVe clinical prediction rule for hospitalisation. For the observational data set, stratification by propensity scores was used to control for confounding by indication, and the data were merged with the trial data set to facilitate more powerful analyses. A logistic regression model was built to predict the progression of illness, and discrimination was assessed using estimates of area under the receiver operator curve that were bootstrapped for internal validation. The study was underpowered to detect small benefits in the key clinical subgroups. The trial included children who were more unwell than those in recent large generalisable cohorts, which suggests that, if anything, the benefit of antibiotics has been overestimated. Given the very large numbers of missing data, the imputed estimates in the economic analysis must be viewed with caution. If the costs of AMR were included, then these estimates of cost-effectiveness would worsen.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/hta/13/34/64

Year Published: 2023

URL for published report: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/DGBV3199

URL for additional information: English

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Full HTA

Country: England, United Kingdom

DOI: 10.3310/DGBV3199

Organisation Name: NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme

Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK

Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk