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Researchers from multiple institutions in Spain conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine if dexamethasone (DXM) reduced recovery time in pediatric patients with parapneumonic pleural effusion. Children who were 1 month to 14 years of age and were hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and pleural effusion at 1 of 9 study sites were eligible. CAP was defined as fever >38°C (>100.4°F), cough, and parenchymal infiltrate at chest radiography. Pleural effusions were diagnosed via thoracic ultrasonography (US) and classified as either complicated (pH level <7.2, loculations or septations at US, or bacteria on Gram stain) or simple (no features of complicated effusions present).
Participants were randomized to receive either 8 intravenous doses of DXM (0.25 mg/kg every 6 hours) or the corresponding volume of …
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