Slow Initial β-lactam Infusion With High-dose Paracetamol to Improve the Outcomes of Childhood Bacterial Meningitis

Summary

The main purpose of this trial is to test if mortality of childhood bacterial meningitis can be reduced by slow, continuous infusion of cefotaxime initially, instead of the traditional bolus administration four times daily (qid), combined with high-dose paracetamol orally, when both treatments are executed for the first 4 days. The series will be collected at Hospital Pediátrico David Bernardino, Luanda, Angola. The recruitment of patients begins, the conditions permitting, in early 2012. The criteria for patient participation is a child at the age of 2 months to 15 years who presents with the symptoms and signs suggestive of bacterial meningitis, for whom a lumbar puncture is performed, and the cerebrospinal fluid analysis suggests bacterial meningitis.

Timeline

Start

2012-02

Primary completion

2017-02

Completion

2017-02

Publications

• Background Pelkonen T, Roine I, Cruzeiro ML, Pitkaranta A, Kataja M, Peltola H. Slow initial beta-lactam infusion and oral paracetamol to treat childhood bacterial meningitis: a randomised, controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2011 Aug;11(8):613-21. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70055-X. Epub 2011 May 5.
• Pelkonen T, Roine I, Kallio M, Jahnukainen K, Peltola H. Prevalence and significance of anaemia in childhood bacterial meningitis: a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from clinical trials in Finland, Latin America and Angola. BMJ Open. 2022 Mar 14;12(3):e057285. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057285.
• Savonius O, Rugemalira E, Roine I, Cruzeiro ML, Peltola H, Pelkonen T. Extended Continuous beta-Lactam Infusion With Oral Acetaminophen in Childhood Bacterial Meningitis: A Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Trial. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 May 18;72(10):1738-1744. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa341.

Drugs

Indications