Paediatric Infectious Diseases

The paediatric infectious diseases unit (PIDU) at St George’s Hospital provides a regional service for the care of children with complex infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis and immunodeficiency. The Paediatric Infectious Disease Research Group (PIDRG) based at St George’s University London is internationally recognised as a leading centre for PID research and is led by Professor Paul Heath and Professor Mike Sharland.

13.0095 Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacokinetics of Antimicrobials (NAPPA)

This research is focused on optimising the antibiotics we give children and babies. Participants will need to be under 16 years of age and be receiving a penicillin antibiotic while in hospital. Whilst at hospital, they will have blood tests as part of their routine clinical care. This study will use a small amount of that blood (0.5ml) to measure the levels of the penicillin. We hope that the study results will improve the scientific evidence available for verifying the best doses of penicillin to use in different types of infection in children and babies in the future.

Contact details:
Dr Charlotte Barker
Clinical Research Fellow

E-mail: cbarker@sgul.ac.uk

Phone:02087252804

vaccine

 

13.0140 PEPTALK2

Chickenpox can be life-threatening for a child with cancer. If they have close contact with someone who is infectious for chickenpox, they are usually offered a medicine called post-exposure (PEP). There are two different types of PEP used in the UK, VZIG (an injection of chickenpox antibodies into the muscle) and aciclovir (an orally administered course of antiviral medicine). Medical opinion is divided over the two types of PEP, so research is needed to find out which one is the best. This study invites the participation of children who have been diagnosed with cancer or have recently completed treatment for cancer. We are interested in whether these two types of PEP have different costs to the health service and, crucially, finding what the effects are on a patients’ quality of life.

Contact details:
Dr Catherine O’Sullivan
Clinical Research Fellow

E-mail: cosulliv@sgul.ac.uk

Phone: 02087254851

 

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

RSV is a leading cause of chest disease and breathing difficulty in infants. It can cause some children to be very sick and can cause longer term chestiness in some infants who have been infected. Currently, there are no routinely used medications to treat RSV infection. The PIDRG are currently researching two new study drugs in the hopes of being able to medicate against RSV:

 

14.0233 RSV Study Drug Orally Administered

Up to 264 infants aged between 1 month and 12 months and hospitalised with RSV will be enrolled into this study at hospitals in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The study drug will be given by mouth as a liquid. Approximately 75% of infants will be randomly assigned to the study drug and approximately 25% of infants will receive a placebo drug. If an infant receives the study drug, there is a chance that it might improve their health by decreasing the severity of their RSV infection.

RSV virus

14.0221 RSV Study Drug Administered Via Inhalation

This study is evaluating the safety of when a new study drug is given to infants (aged between 3 and 24) and looking to see how effective it is as a medication against RSV chest infections. The first infants to take part in this study will receive an inhaled dose of the study drug once per day for 3 days whilst in hospital. Those who take part in the second part of the study will receive either an inhaled dose of the study drug or an inactive placebo once per day for 3 days whilst in hospital. If an infant receives the study drug, there is a chance that it might improve their health by decreasing the severity of their RSV infection.

Contact details:
Dr Catherine O’Sullivan
Clinical Research Fellow

E-mail: cosulliv@sgul.ac.uk

Phone: 02087254851

15.0069 Valgan Toddler

Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a common viral cause of hearing loss and/or developmental delay in the UK. Our long term aim is to try to bring this disease under control. Based on research in the USA, it is now recommended that all babies up to one month of age are given ganciclovir as part of routine clinical practice. We will find out if giving valganciclovir (the oral form of ganciclovir) to older children (between 31 days of age up through 47 months of age) can reduce hearing loss at a later age. We are recruiting children who have been diagnosed with hearing loss in one or both ears within the past 12 weeks who may have a CMV infection.

Contact details:
Leanne Poulton
Research Nurse

E-mail: l.poulton@sgul.ac.uk

Phone: 02087253887

14.0076 Group B Streptococcus

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus, GBS) is an important cause of serious infections in infants and pregnant women (e.g. septicaemia, pneumonia, meningitis). Early onset GBS disease may be prevented by antibiotics given intravenously to the mother during labour. Late onset disease however is not currently preventable. A vaccine against GBS has been developed and is currently being tested in pregnant women. We therefore need to collect the best available evidence in order to assess the impact of current prevention guidelines as well as providing the baseline for a GBS vaccine program.

Contact details:
Dr Catherine O’Sullivan
Clinical Research Fellow

E-mail: cosulliv@sgul.ac.uk

Phone: 02087254851

group-b-streptococcus

 

14.0187 Infanrix

Hepatitis B usually affects adults, but children can be infected through close contact with carriers of the virus. Children with hepatitis B infection may not have symptoms for many years but may go on to develop liver failure, cirrhosis and cancer. At present, babies in the UK receive a 5-in-1 vaccine (Pediacel) which protects them against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influence type b (Hib). By replacing Pediacel with infanrix-Hexa, children could also be protected against hepatitis B. However, before this can happen we need to make sure that Infanrix-Hexa and the other vaccines in the UK infant schedule all continue to provide adequate protection when given together. We are inviting all babies who have not yet had their routine immunisations to take part in this study. By taking part in this study, your baby will be immunised against hepatitis B as well as being offered extra vaccination if he/she does not develop enough antibody levels against Hib or MenC.

Contact details:
Dr Anna Calvert
Clinical Research Fellow

E-mail: acalvert@sgul.ac.uk

Phone: 02087253887

14.0127 Immunising Mums Against Pertussis (iMAP2)

This study will be assessing two whooping cough vaccines used in pregnancy. Vaccinating mothers during pregnancy allows their baby to be protected in the first weeks of their life, when they are at greatest risk, as the antibodies from the mum cross the placenta to the baby. Both whooping cough vaccines also give protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio. This study will assess the antibodies in both mother and baby, reassuring them that they have protection. It will also help to ensure the best protection is offered to our population.

Contact details:
Leanne Poulton
Research Nurse

E-mail: l.poulton@sgul.ac.uk

Phone: 02087253887

14.0225 Daptomycin in the treatment of Acute Haematogenous Osteomyelitis (DAP PEDOST)

This study will involve children aged between 6 and 18 years old who have been diagnosed with acute haematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO). AHO is a bacterial infection of the bone, which can cause pain, inflammation and restriction or potentially loss of movement in the affected area. To treat bacterial infections, antibiotics like daptomycin are used. In the UK, USA and other countries around the world, daptomycin has been used to treat infections in the skin, in the heart valves in adults and in the blood. By doing this study, we hope to learn more about the safety of daptomycin in children and how well it works to treat AHO. It will be conducted at around 120 centres worldwide with approximately 200 participants. This is a randomised study, which means the study medication your child is assigned will be determined by chance. There is a 50% chance that your child will receive daptomycin to treat his or her infection. However, if your child is not assigned to the daptomycin group, he or she will receive one of the usual antibiotics used in the NHS to treat the infection. Taking part in the study will not increase the length of time your child has to stay in hospital and will be providing pivotal information on the most effective way to treat children diagnosed with AHO.

Contact details:
Rooba Kauppayamootoo
Research Nurse

E-mail: rkauppay@sgul.ac.uk

Phone : 02087252780