Effect of age, polymicrobial disease, and maternal HIV status on treatment response and cause of severe pneumonia in South African children: a prospective descriptive study

Lancet. 2007 Apr 28;369(9571):1440-1451. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60670-9.

Abstract

Background: HIV-related pneumonia is the main cause of paediatric hospital admissions in southern Africa. We aimed to measure predictors of treatment failure and the cause of non-responsive pneumonia in children admitted to hospital with severe pneumonia in Durban, South Africa.

Methods: We investigated 358 children aged 1-59 months who presented with WHO-defined severe or very severe pneumonia. Children were recruited irrespective of HIV status and started on a standard antimicrobial regimen of benzylpenicillin and gentamicin. All infants also received high-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The primary outcome measure was treatment failure at 48 h.

Findings: 242 (68%) children were HIV infected, 41 (12%) HIV exposed, uninfected, and 75 (21%) HIV uninfected. Failure to respond by 48 h was predicted by age under 1 year (adjusted odds ratio 6.38, 95% CI 2.72-14.91, p<0.0001), very severe disease (2.47, 1.17-5.24, p=0.0181), HIV status (HIV infected 10.3, 3.26-32.51; HIV exposed, uninfected 6.02, 1.55-23.38; p=0.0003), and polymicrobial disease (one organism 2.06, 1.05-4.05; two organisms 10.75, 4.38-26.36; p<0.0001) on logistic regression analysis. All children with three organisms failed treatment. 72/110 treatment failures had at least two organisms isolated. Three of nine HIV-exposed, uninfected infants, 29/74 HIV-infected, but no HIV-uninfected infants who failed study therapy had Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.

Interpretation: For children younger than 1 year, the WHO guidelines are inadequate and need to be revised since both HIV-infected and HIV-exposed, uninfected infants had more treatment failures than did HIV-uninfected infants. Polymicrobial disease is an important reason for treatment failure, and we need to identify rapid low-cost diagnostic methods to assist clinicians.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • HIV Seropositivity*
  • HIV-1*
  • Hospital Mortality*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Maternal Welfare
  • Pneumonia / complications
  • Pneumonia / drug therapy*
  • Pneumonia / microbiology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • South Africa
  • Treatment Failure

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents