CHICAGO – Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in the United States, especially in the treatment of pneumonia in children. Doctors are now questioning whether antibiotics should be used at all for this disease.

Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, in collaboration with the University of Utah Health, has received $12 million to study this issue. Their study will compare two methods of using antibiotics to treat pneumonia in children.

The first method follows current practice of prescribing and administering antibiotics immediately. The second method prescribes antibiotics but delays their use until symptoms worsen.

Most cases of pneumonia in children are caused by viruses, which usually clear up without antibiotics. However, antibiotics are often given as a precaution against bacterial infections, which is not always necessary and can have negative effects.

“When you think about the millions of children diagnosed with pneumonia in the United States each year and the millions of days these children receive antibiotics – often unnecessarily – it becomes clear that the investment really pays off in the long run for children’s health,” said Dr. Todd Florin, associate professor at Lurie Children’s.

The research team will work with 12 pediatric practices to collect data over the next five years.