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

University of Helsinki375 enrolled

Overview

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.

The principal objective of the study is to examine if mortality of childhood bacterial meningitis can be reduced by slow continuous infusion of cefotaxime combined with high-dose paracetamol orally for the first 4 days (instead of the traditional qid administration of cefotaxime without concomitant paracetamol). Children qualifying for entry (see criteria below), whose guardian has given informed consent,will be randomized into 2 treatment arms (see details below)and receive the treatments in a double blind fashion (see details below). Primary and secondary outcomes (detailed below) will be evaluated according to predefined criteria and time points (see below). Results will be analyzed for all patients in ITT datasets and in prespecified subgroups (etiology, nutritional status, etc.) in both crude and adjusted analysis. The efficacy results will be expressed as OR with 95% confidence intervals.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Enrollment

375

Interventions

Infusion with paracetamolDRUG

The administration of 250 mg/kg/24 hours cefotaxime during the first 4 days as continuous intravenous infusion, each single infusion lasting for 12 hours (to prevent degradation of the agent), combined with high-dose paracetamol orally; the first dose is 30 mg/kg, then 20 mg/kg every 6 hours for 4 full days.

Bolus without paracetamolDRUG

The control intervention consists of 250 mg/kg/24 hours cefotaxime administered traditionally with intermittent i.v. boluses and the place bo of paracetamol orally, both repeated every 6 hours (qid) for 4 days.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 2 MonthsMax age: 15 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Eligibility criteria: The study entry is assessed for all children at age 2 months - 15 years who present at these centers with the symptoms and signs suggestive of bacterial meningitis (BM), and to whom lumbar puncture is performed. Inclusion criteria: All patients whose cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) turns out to be cloudy, positive by Gram staining or latex agglutination, or shows at least 50 leukocytes per mm3, will be enrolled in the study. Participants: Exclusion criteria Exclusion criteria: 1. Trauma, or relevant underlying illness such as intracranial shunt, previous neurological abnormality (cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, meningitis) 2. Previous hearing impairment (if known) 3. Immunosuppression, except HIV infection 4. More than one parenteral dose of a pretreatment antimicrobial. Children with oral antimicrobials are included, this information being marked in the FOLLOW-UP sheet. 5. Active tuberculosis (if tuberculotic meningitis is diagnosed during trial, it will be included in intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis) 6. Known hepatic disease.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Day 7 Mortality

All patients who had received at least one dose of treatment and were dead on day 7 from the institution of treatment on day 1.

Time frame: On day 7 from the institution of treatment

Secondary Outcomes

All Deaths During Hospital Stay

All patients who had received at least one dose of treatment and died during the hospital stay.

Time frame: The outcome was assessed each day until the patient was discharged from the hospital. The longest hospital stay was 84 days, while the last death occurred 39 days after treatment initiation.

Status on the Modified Glasgow Outcome Scale

Scores on the modified Glasgow Outcome Scale which range from a maximum of 5 (best) to a minimum of 1 (worst) points. The Glasgow Outcome Scale categorizes the outcome after brain injury into five categories, based on the level and severeness of disability. As hearing impairment is one of the most common sequelae of bacterial meningitis, an assessment of hearing should be included when estimating the grade of disability. Hearing thresholds (in decibel, dB) were determined by brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA), for each ear separately.

Time frame: Examined at discharge from hospital, except for hearing evaluations which were performed at earliest seven days since the institution of treatment, during the hospital stay. The longest hospital stay was 84 days.

Death or Any Neurological Sequelae on Day 7

Defined as death or any severe neurological sequelae, or hemi- or monoparesis, or ataxia, or psychomotor retardation of any degree.

Time frame: Examined on day 7 since institution of treatment.

A Change in Hearing Threshold Compared to the First Test Result

Hearing thresholds (in decibel, dB) were determined by brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA), for each ear separately. The better ear's hearing threshold, obtained on admission or shortly thereafter, was compared with the better ear's hearing threshold obtained at earliest after one week of treatment.

Time frame: Hearing thresholds obtained during any of the first three days after hospital admission were compared with hearing thresholds obtained on day seven or later, during the hospital stay. The longest hospital stay was 84 days.

Death or Severe Neurological Sequelae on Day 7

Death or severe neurological sequelae, defined as blindness, tetraplegia/paresis, hydrocephalus requiring a shunt and severe psychomotor retardation

Time frame: Examined on day 7 since institution of treatment

Number of Participants With Deafness

Hearing thresholds (in decibel, dB) were determined by brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA), for each ear separately. Deafness was defined as a hearing threshold \>80 dB in the better ear.

Time frame: This outcome includes hearing thresholds determined at earliest seven days after the institution of treatment, during the hospital stay. The longest hospital stay was 84 days.

Death or Any Neurological Sequelae at Discharge From Hospital.