Proadrenomedullin Predicts Severe Disease in Children With Suspected Community-acquired Pneumonia.

Background: Proadrenomedullin (proADM), a vasodilatory peptide with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, predicts severe outcomes in adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to a greater degree than C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. We evaluated the ability of proADM to predict disease severity across a range of clinical outcomes in children with suspected CAP.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of children 3 months to 18 years with CAP in the emergency department.

Biomarkers and Disease Severity in Children With Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Background: Host biomarkers predict disease severity in adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We evaluated the association of the white blood cell (WBC) count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin with the development of severe outcomes in children with CAP.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of children 3 months to 18 years of age with CAP in the emergency department.

Factors Associated With Antibiotic Prescribing and Outcomes for Pediatric Pneumonia in the Emergency Department.

Objectives: Chest radiographs (CXRs) are often performed in children with respiratory illness to inform the decision to prescribe antibiotics. Our objective was to determine the factors associated with clinicians' plans to treat with antibiotics prior to knowledge of CXR results and the associations between preradiograph plans with antibiotic prescription and return to medical care.

Methods: Previously healthy children aged 3 months to 18 years with a CXR for suspected pneumonia were enrolled in a prospective cohort study in the emergency department.