Ampicillin & Gentamicin V/S 3rd Generation Cephalosporin for the Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Children; A Comparative Analysis

Background: Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of childhood morbidity, attributed to every 1 in 500 hospitalization of children under the age of 5 years. While science made therapeutic advancements to battle CAP, the pathogens too have acquired resistance to many drugs. In this fight for dominance, Ampicillin plus Gentamicin and 3rd Gen Cephalosporins are nowadays the cornerstone of treatment. However, their efficacy varies in different parts of the world owing to differing levels of drug resistance.

Objective: To compare the effect of Ampicillin and Gentamicin vs. third generation cephalosporin in treatment of severe community acquired pneumonia.

Methodology: This Randomized Controlled Trial was conducted at the Dept. of Pediatrics (Ziauddin University Hospital) upon a sample of 74 patients (in two equal groups) of either gender, aged 2 months to 5 years, presenting with CAP. After taking written informed consent, data was recorded onto a pre-structured questionnaire containing inquiries pertaining to basic biodata, sociodemographic details, presenting complaints, immunization status of the pneumococcal and HIB vaccine, laboratory values, and treatment outcome.

Results: The mean age of the sample stood at 15 months (SD ± 3) with a majority of the sample comprising of male children (52.7%). The mean weight stood at 8.7 kg (SD ± 0.9) and the mean height was recorded to be 74.2 cm (SD ± 11). The commonest symptoms included fever, fast breathing, chest in-drawing and added sounds. It was revealed that both treatments achieved successful treatment outcomes in all patients with no mortality. The resolution of symptoms however varied with faster resolution observed in the Cephalosporin group.

Conclusion: After careful consideration, it can be concluded that 3rd generation cephalosporins is more efficacious at treatment of CAP with significantly faster resolution of disease symptoms.