Clinical Efficacy of Amoxicillin Given Twice or Three Times a Day Among Children With Non-severe Pneumonia

Clinical Efficacy of Amoxicillin Given Twice or Three Times a Day Among Children With Non-severe Community-acquired Pneumonia

The purpose of the study is to compare the clinical efficacy of amoxicillin given twice or three times a day to children with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children aged between 2 and 59 months
• Report of respiratory complaints
• Presence of pulmonary infiltrate on chest x-ray taken on admission and read by the pediatrician on duty

Exclusion Criteria:

• lower chest indrawing
• danger signs (inability to drink, convulsions, somnolence, central cyanosis, grunting in a calm child)
• diagnosed underlying chronic diseases (anatomic abnormalities of the respiratory tract, chronic pulmonary illness besides asthma, immunological defects, progressing neurological disorders, psychomotor retardation, heart disease with clinical repercussion, hemoglobinopathy, liver or kidney disease)
• severe malnutrition
• other concurrent infection
• hospitalization during the previous 7 days
• amoxicillin or similar antibiotic use during the last 48 hours
• allergy to amoxicillin
• history of aspiration