KIDS-STEP

This page has been translated automatically.

The KIDS-STEP study was successfully completed in 2024.

The aim of the KIDS-STEP study was to investigate whether anti-inflammatory medication (cortisone) has a positive effect on the severity of the disease in children with lower respiratory tract infections (lung infections). Children who were admitted to hospital with a lung infection and received standard therapy were examined.

The KIDS-STEP study investigated whether children who received cortisone were affected,

a less serious illness
a shorter duration of the disease
a shorter hospitalisation period
Fewer complications

were to be observed.

Here you can see the results of our study:

UKBB KIDS STEP Study / Version française

Participating hospitals in Switzerland

Principal Investigator Aarau
Prof Dr med Henrik Koehler
Senior physician paediatric pneumology
Kantonsspital Aarau AG, Clinic for Children and Adolescents, Tellstr. 25, 5001 Aarau
T +41 62 838 92 44

Co-Investigator Aarau
Patrick Haberstich

Study Team Aarau
Rachel Kusche
Sandra Knecht
Larina Eisenhut

Principal Investigator Basel
Prof Dr Ulrich Heininger, MD
e-mail

Study Team Basel - Paediatric Research Centre (PFZ)
Claudia Werner
Britta Wagner
Alexandra Meyer
Artemis Ioannaki

Principal Investigator Bern
Kristina Keitel
Inselspital Bern, Emergency Centre for Children and Adolescents
Freiburgstrasse 15, 3010 Berne

Study Team Bern
Verena Wyss
Barbara Beck
e-mail

Principal Investigator Fribourg
Dr. Petra Zimmermann
Paediatrics - HFR Fribourg - Cantonal Hospital
Chemin des Pensionnats 2-6 | 1752 Villars-sur-Glâne
T +41 26 306 35 10

Study Nurse Fribourg
Julie Tomasini
Véronique Sommer
T +41 26 306 35 98

Principal Investigator Geneva
Dr Anne Mornand
Geneva University Hospital, Department of Pediatrics
rue Willy Donzé 6, 1211 Geneva 14
T +41 22 372 45 79

Co-Investigator Geneva
Klara Posfay-Barbe

Research Coordinator Geneva
Renato Gualtieri

Principal Investigator Lucerne
Marco Lurà, MD
Senior Consultant Paediatrics
Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, Children's Hospital, Spitalstrasse, 6000 Lucerne 16
T +41 41 205 68 38
M +41 79 550 89 38

Co-Investigator Lucerne
Alex Donas

Study Team Lucerne
Katja Hrup
Janine Stritt

Principal Investigator St. Gallen
Dr Christian Kahlert
Senior Physician Infectiology
Claudiussstrasse 6, 9006 St. Gallen
T +41 71 243 14 34

Study Coordinator St. Gallen
Ingrid Beck
T +41 71 243 19 67

Principal Investigator Zurich
Christoph Berger, MD
Head of the Department of Infectiology and Hospital Hygiene
University Children's Hospital Zurich - Eleonorenstiftung, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zurich
T +41 44 266 78 40 (direct)
T +41 44 266 72 50 (Secretariat)
F +41 44 266 80 72

Co-Investigator Zurich
Dr Patrick Meyer Sauteur
Senior Physician Infectiology and Hospital Hygiene
T +41 44 266 78 96

Participating hospitals in Germany

Principal Investigator Bochum

Dr Stefanie Dillenhöfer
Senior Consultant Paediatric Pneumology
University Hospital of the Ruhr University Bochum
Clinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Ruhr University Bochum
Alexandrinenstr.
544791 Bochum

Co-Investigator Bochum
Dr med Anne Schlegtendal
Medical specialist

Study Team Bochum
Dr Anna Wiemers
Sub Investigator

Study Nurses:
Sandra Böger
Michaela Schwarzbach
Veronika Baumeister
Barbara Streich

Principal Investigator Düsseldorf
Dr Dirk Schramm
Senior physician
Paediatric pneumology and allergology
University Hospital Düsseldorf
Moorenstrasse 5
40225 Düsseldorf
T +49 211 81 00

Study Team Düsseldorf
Dr rer. nat. Nadja Drusenheimer
Dr rer. nat. Anne Brückner

Principal Investigator Freiburg
Prof Dr Markus Hufnagel
Head of Children's and Youth Rheumatism Centre
Deputy Head of Paediatric Infectiology and Rheumatology, Immunology
Clinic for General Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Postal address: Mathildenstrasse 1 / Directions: Heiliggeiststrasse 1
79106 Freiburg
T +49 761 270 45 29 2

Co-Investigator Freiburg
Dr Roland Elling

Study Coordinator Freiburg
Bianca Rippberger

Principal Investigator Tübingen
Dr Tobias Walter
Senior physician
Specialist in paediatrics and adolescent medicine, additional qualification in paediatric pneumology
Emergency room, asthma/allergy consultation

T +49 7071 29-83781

Co-Investigator Tübingen
Dr Hanna Renk
Senior consultant, specialist in paediatrics and adolescent medicine
Paediatric infectiology; paediatric intensive care medicine
University Hospital Tübingen, P.O. Box 2669, 72016 Tübingen
T +49 7071 29-62250

Study Team Tübingen
Annette Hark
T +49 7071 29-81397

Hiltrud Mayer
SusanneSchwartz
Irmgard Müller

Background

Lung infections are a common reason why children have to stay in hospital. Based on information already available on the effect of cortisone on lung infections, cortisone could reduce the severity of the disease in children and shorten their hospital stay. To date, there is no conclusive data on the positive use of cortisone for lower respiratory tract infections in children. We would therefore like to investigate this in our study.

Currently, cortisone is not part of the standard treatment for children hospitalised with a lung infection. However, study data from adult medicine show that adults with lung infections benefit from cortisone therapy.

In the KIDS-STEP study, cortisone is administered in the form of the drug Celestamine®. Celestamine® contains the active ingredient betamethasone from the active ingredient group of corticoids. Corticoids are anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and immunosuppressive (by inhibiting the immune system). Betamethasone is used in children in Switzerland to treat inflammatory skin diseases, allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases and diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract (severe acute asthma attack, pseudocroup attack). The drug Celestamine® is authorised in Germany and is routinely used there for children with allergies and for certain inflammatory diseases.

Target group & procedure

Children aged between 6 months and 14 years who were hospitalised for pneumonia took part in the international study. 9 hospitals in Switzerland and 4 hospitals in Germany took part in this study. The children were given either betamethasone or a placebo for 2 days in addition to their usual standard treatment. Allocation to the betamethasone or placebo group was done randomly by drawing lots (randomisation). It was then measured how quickly the children's health stabilised (e.g. normal heart and respiratory rate and oxygen levels) and whether they had to return to hospital within 4 weeks of entering the study. This was asked during telephone calls in weeks 1, 2 and 4.

A total of 510 children in Switzerland and Germany were included in the KIDS-STEP study over the entire duration of the study.

The KIDS-STEP study was conducted within the SwissPedNet research network. SwissPedNet coordinates and supports high-quality research in paediatric medicine. All major paediatric clinics and university children's hospitals in Switzerland participated in the KIDS-STEP study.