Oral amoxicillin for management of fast breathing or chest indrawing pneumonia without danger signs in children aged 2-59 months: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Barsha Gadapani Pathak, Yasir Bin Nisar, Uma Chandra Mouli Natchu et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of oral amoxicillin in children aged 2-59 months with fast breathing pneumonia and chest indrawing pneumonia without danger signs. The analysis included four trials for fast breathing pneumonia and three for chest indrawing pneumonia. Oral amoxicillin significantly reduced treatment failure by 16% at day 14 (RR=0.84; 95% CI 0.75, 0.94) compared to no antibiotics.
Key findings
- Oral amoxicillin reduced treatment failure by 16% at day 14 for fast breathing pneumonia (RR=0.84; 95% CI 0.75, 0.94).
- For chest indrawing pneumonia, treatment failure was similar between oral and injectable antibiotics at day 6 and day 14.
- Oral amoxicillin was associated with a 72% reduction in mortality compared to injectable antibiotics for chest indrawing pneumonia (RR=0.28; 95% CI 0.09, 0.86).
Why it matters
The findings support the use of oral amoxicillin as a first-line treatment for pneumonia in children, particularly in low-resource settings, where accessibility and feasibility are critical for effective management.