Pneumonia is respiratory disease caused by inflammation of lungs because of infection. In a latest research from WHO the scientists advice that children’s Pneumonia can be treated well at home also by giving oral antibiotics. This is as good as treating them with Intravenous medicines as hospitals. In South Asia and African countries Pneumonia is one of the major causes of children’s deaths. Approximately 2 million of the 10 million deaths of children under the age 5 years annually are caused by Pneumonia globally.

The Research:
This research was conducted on more than 2,000 children of 3 to 5 years’ age in a country known for it’s under development ‘Pakistan’. WHO advises that children suffering from sever Pneumonia should be referred to hospitals and treated with intravenous antibiotics.

The sample:

Children suffering from Pneumonia who came to be admitted to hospitals in Pakistan were studied. This study was conducted a 7 locations. About half were sent back to home and given an antibiotic Amoxicillin syrup orally. Remaining half were treated with Ampicillin at hospitals by intravenous route of administration.
Ironically due to lack of transportation and healthcare facilities. Researchers added that oral treatment is much cheaper than hospitalizations. One of the researchers Dr. Donald of Boston university said ‘Deaths caused by Pneumonia are more than those caused by Malaria and HIV’.

Study: Home treatment also safe and effective
The treatment at home was just as safe and effective as the hospital treatment, the study found. Of the five children who died within 14 days of entering the study, one was treated at home, with the other four among the hospitalized.

WHO guidelines call for children with pneumonia that is not severe to be treated at home with oral antibiotics, but hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics for severe cases.
The researchers said the WHO guidelines can be ineffective in practice because many children with severe pneumonia in developing countries who are referred to hospitals for treatment never reach them because they have no means of transportation or are too far away.

Impact of the research:
The researchers believe that distribution of medicines to children having Pneumonia by local health workers in their communities has multiple advantages. This method of treatment helps avoid the possibility of infection because of intravenous route of treatment i.e. infections because of unsterile of septic needles of intravenous infusion sets.