Initial Oral Antibiotics for Bone and Joint Infections in Children

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Oral antibiotic treatment: Initial antibiotics: Below 5 years: High-dose amoxicillin-clavulanate (8:1 ratio; 100/12.5 mg/kg/day in 3 doses) until clinical improvement and decrease in CRP, followed by dose reduction (4:1 ratio) to 50/12.5 mg/kg/day in 3 doses). 5 years and above: High-dose anti-staphylococcal penicillin (200 mg/kg/day in 4 doses) until clinical improvement and decrease in CRP, with dose reduction (100 mg/kg/day in 4 doses) after clinical improvement Treatment duration of follow-up therapy (after initial high-dose antibiotics): One week for uncomplicated joint infections, three weeks for bone infections, and four weeks for spondylodiscitis

Study summary

Initial oral antibiotic treatment for children and adolescents with uncomplicated bone and joint infections (BJI) has been found non-inferior to initial IV antibiotics in one randomized controlled trial (RCT). The real-world effectiveness of initial oral antibiotics for children and adolescents with BJI is unclear.

This nationwide, prospective, multicenter, real-world cohort study aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of initial oral antibiotic treatment for children and adolescents with uncomplicated BJI in a real-world setting with those who received initial oral antibiotics in our RCT.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Clinical sequelae at 6 months — 6 months after end of treatment [4-9 months]
  Clinical sequelae is defined as any abnormal mobility or function of the affected bone or joint. Clinical sequelae will be evaluated through a structured medical telephone interview at 6 months with a parent or a guardian (or the patient, if adolescent, along with the parent). If the medical interview raises any concerns about abnormal mobility or function of the affected bone or joint, or if the patient is scheduled for a clinical consultation, clinical sequelae will be evaluated by a clinical examination performed by a pediatrician or an orthopedic surgeon.

Trial sites (1)

More Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet trials in Denmark