The MYTHIC Study challenges the antibiotic use for childhood pneumonia. This research project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
Recruitment start in February 2025
Further information on the status of the study at ClinicalTrials.gov
Study
The MYTHIC Study is a national multicenter study investigating whether children with mycoplasma (Mycoplasma pneumoniae) pneumonia need antibiotic treatment. Mycoplasma is one of the most common bacterial causes of childhood pneumonia. So far, recommended treatment for mycoplasma infections are macrolide antibiotics. However, the effect of macrolides in children with mycoplasma pneumonia is unclear. The MYTHIC Study challenges the antibiotic use in 3 to 17 year old children with mycoplasma pneumonia. The main objective is to investigate the efficacy of macrolide antibiotics for mycoplasma pneumonia in children. The results will have a significant impact on antibiotic prescription and may reduce the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in children with pneumonia. This investigator-initiated clinical trial is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
Epidemiology
Cases of mycoplasma infections declined dramatically after the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the COVID-19 pandemic such as mandatory masking in 2020. After mycoplasma has been absent for nearly four years, mycoplasma infections have been re-emerging in summer 2023 in Europe and Asia. Since fall 2023, we have recorded case numbers in Europe and Asia that could be observed during mycoplasma epidemics before the COVID-19 pandemic. It is difficult to predict when and how high the re-emergence will peak and also if it will result in an increase in rare severe disease because of the reduced exposure.
The surveillance of mycoplasma infections across the world can be followed in real time: ESCMID: ESGMAC MAPS study
Sponsorship
People
PD Dr. Dr. med. Patrick Meyer Sauteur
Principal investigator
Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Berger
Sponsor
Dr. sc. ETH Stefanie von Felten
Trial statistician
Barbara Schaub
Trial administrator
Dr. sc. ETH Ester Osuna
Trial coordinator
Dr. rer. nat. Margarete von Wantoch
Trial and CRC manager
Participating hospitals
Universitäts-Kinderspital Zürich Eleonorenstiftung
Lenggstrasse 30
CH-8008 Zürich
PD Dr. med. Michelle Seiler
michelle.seiler@kispi.uzh.ch
+41 44 249 68 32
Kinderklinik Stadtspital Zürich Triemli
Birmensdorferstrasse 497 CH-8063 Zürich
Prof. Dr. med. Maren Tomaske
maren.tomaske@stadtspital.ch
+41 44 416 11 11
Klinik für Kinder und Jugendliche Kantonsspital Winterthur
Brauerstrasse 15
Postfach
CH-8401 Winterthur
Dr. med. Andreas Jung
andreas.jung@ksw.ch
+41 52 266 41 44
Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel (UKBB)
Spitalstrasse 33
CH-4056 Basel
Prof. Dr. med. Ulrich Heininger
ulrich.heininger@ukbb.ch
+41 61 704 12 12
PD Dr. med. Julia Bielicki
julia.bielicki@ukbb.ch
+41 61 704 28 58
Ostschweizer Kinderspital
Claudiusstrasse 6
CH-9006 St. Gallen
Dr. med. Anita Niederer-Loher
anita.niederer@kispisg.ch
+41 71 243 71 11
Kantonsspital Graubünden Departement Kinder- und Jugendmedizin
Loëstrasse 170
CH-7000 Chur
Dr. med. Beate Deubzer
beate.deubzer@ksgr.ch
+41 81 256 61 11
Luzerner Kantonsspital
Kinderspital, Haus 33 Spitalstrasse
CH-6000 Luzern 16
Dr. med. Alex Donas
alex.donas@luks.ch
+41 41 205 31 66
Kantonsspital Aarau
Kinderspital, Haus 9
Tellstrasse 25
CH-5001 Aarau
Prof. Dr. med. Henrik Köhler
henrik.koehler@ksa.ch
+41 62 838 41 41
Kinderklinik Inselspital Universitätsspital Bern Freiburgstrasse
CH-3010 Bern
PD Dr. med. Philipp Agyeman
philipp.agyeman@insel.ch
PD Dr. med. Fabrizio Romano
fabrizio.romano@insel.ch
Hôpital des enfants Hôpitaux Universitaires Genève
Rue Willy-Donzé 6
CH-1205 Genève
Dr. med. Noémie Wagner
noemie.wagner@hcuge.ch
+41 22 372 40 00
Hôpital de l’enfance de Lausanne Département femme-mère-enfant
Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV)
Rue du Bugnon 21
CH-1011 Lausanne
Dr. med. Ludivine Coulon
ludivine.coulon@chuv.ch
+41 21 314 11 11
Pädiatrie HFR Freiburg – Kantonsspital
Postfach
CH-1708 Freiburg
PD Dr. Dr. med. Petra Zimmermann
petra.zimmermann@unifr.ch
+41 26 306 00 00
Istituto Pediatrico della Svizzera Italiana
Ospedale San Giovanni Via Athos Gallino 12
CH-6500 Bellinzona
Dr. med. Lisa Kottanattu
lisa.kottanattu@eoc.ch
+41 91 811 91 11