1 00:00:00,100 --> 00:00:04,100 I have recently been diagnosed with pneumonia. 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:06,600 How long do I have to take medicine for? 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:09,071 (soft music) 4 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:12,929 That is a really good question 5 00:00:12,930 --> 00:00:15,770 and exactly what we want to find out with our study. 6 00:00:15,771 --> 00:00:17,399 We conducted a randomized 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,700 clinical trial and follow-up study with 280 children 8 00:00:20,700 --> 00:00:23,800 ages six months to 10 years old who came 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,600 to the emergency department with fever, trouble breathing, 10 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,800 and got the primary diagnosis of pneumonia. 11 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:31,714 The study took place at two locations: 12 00:00:31,715 --> 00:00:34,600 McMaster Children's Hospital and right here at CHEO. 13 00:00:35,014 --> 00:00:39,157 Half the children in the study received five days of high dose amoxicillin 14 00:00:39,214 --> 00:00:42,414 an antibiotic, followed by five days of a placebo 15 00:00:42,415 --> 00:00:44,756 a sort of phony medicine that we use in research. 16 00:00:44,757 --> 00:00:47,199 The rest of the children received a full 10 days 17 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:48,400 of high dose amoxicillin. 18 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,800 We ask caregivers to keep a daily diary documenting things 19 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:54,814 like temperature, breathing symptoms and 20 00:00:54,815 --> 00:00:56,699 a number of other interesting findings. 21 00:00:56,700 --> 00:00:58,871 We also did follow up by phone and 22 00:00:58,872 --> 00:01:00,999 in person over the next 21 days. 23 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,057 What our study found was that children who received 24 00:01:04,058 --> 00:01:07,870 only five days of amoxicillin recovered just as well 25 00:01:07,871 --> 00:01:10,200 as those who took a full 10 days. 26 00:01:10,201 --> 00:01:12,500 Our discovery means that doctors can consider 27 00:01:12,501 --> 00:01:14,256 recommending five days of antibiotics instead of 28 00:01:14,257 --> 00:01:17,956 10 days for children with uncomplicated pneumonia like yours. 29 00:01:17,957 --> 00:01:20,728 That's great news for children and families. 30 00:01:20,729 --> 00:01:23,228 It means less money spent on antibiotics, 31 00:01:23,229 --> 00:01:25,043 decreased exposure to medicine 32 00:01:25,044 --> 00:01:26,043 which could have side effects, 33 00:01:26,044 --> 00:01:28,070 and fewer days having to take that medicine 34 00:01:28,071 --> 00:01:29,771 for children to feel better.