In a recent study published in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection , researchers conducted a population-based emulated trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy of penicillin V (PcV) and amoxicillin in treating pediatric pneumonia. Specifically, they compared the two antimicrobial agents' risk of treatment failure and severe complications. Their findings support the global trend of amoxicillin use by verifying its lower risk of treatment failure than penicillin V.
It further debunks the Scandinavian practice of penicillin V use, highlighting that despite its narrower antimicrobial range than amoxicillin, the risk of severe complications was statistically identical between the two. Study: Penicillin V versus amoxicillin for pneumonia in children – a Swedish nationwide emulated target trial . Image Credit: Michelle Lee Photography / Shutterstock Pneumonia is the single most significant transmissible cause of childhood mortality in the world today, estimated to have accounted for 740,180 children dying in 2019 alone (14% of all childhood deaths; World Health Organisation [WHO]).
Pediatric pneumonia is an upper respiratory tract infection caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria, with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae historically being the most common causative agents of the disease. Unfortunately, a shortage of reliable diagnostic tests combined with the commonality of bacteria-caused pneumonia results in antibiotics being the primary clinical interve.