Evaluation of the Results of Clinical Pharmacological Intervention in Switching Antibiotic Administration from Intravenous to Oral in Patients with Community-acquired Pneumonia at the Respiratory Department of Hanoi Children's Hospital

Abstract

Background: Intravenous-to-oral (IV-PO) antibiotic conversion is an effective strategy to optimize antibiotic use, reduce treatment costs, and minimize complications associated with prolonged intravenous therapy. However, no official IV-PO conversion guideline has been implemented at Hanoi Children’s Hospital. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of clinical pharmacy intervention on IV-PO antibiotic conversion in pediatric patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at the Respiratory Department of Hanoi Children’s Hospital. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal descriptive study was conducted in two phases. In the pre-intervention phase, 158 pediatric patients aged 2 months to 5 years diagnosed with CAP and treated from March 1^st to March 31^st, 2025 were evaluated to assess the current status of IV-PO conversion. In the intervention phase, 137 CAP patients treated from June 14^th to August 14^th, 2025 were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical pharmacy intervention. Eligible patients received intravenous antibiotics for at least 48 hours and met IV-PO conversion criteria. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 20.0. Results: More than 94% of patients in both phases were eligible for IV-PO conversion. The IV-PO conversion rate increased significantly from 6.66% before intervention to 94.07% after intervention. Conclusions: Clinical pharmacy intervention was feasible and effective in improving IV-PO conversion rates and optimizing antibiotic use in pediatric patients with CAP.