RecruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Definition of Sub-phenotypes of Pneumonia Based on the Respiratory Microbiome Composition to Predict Microbial and Clinical Treatment Failures

This study explores how the mix of tiny living things (microbes) in your breathing passages affects how well pneumonia treatment works. Pneumonia is a serious lung infection, and this research aims to understand why some treatments fail and how antibiotic resistance develops. It will involve people with pneumonia caught at home or in hospital, including those in intensive care. By studying samples over time, researchers hope to find ways to predict treatment success, reduce antibiotic resistance, and improve care for people with pneumonia.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Enrolment target

300

Start

06 Nov 2025

Estimated completion

15 Sep 2028

Community Acquired or Acquiring Hospital Acquired Pneumonia

What is this study about?

Imagine your body is a bustling city, full of tiny residents — good and bad germs. This study focuses on the community of germs living in your airways, called the respiratory microbiome, especially when you have pneumonia. Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that can be caught at home (community-acquired pneumonia) or while in hospital (hospital-acquired pneumonia).

Doctors are trying to understand why some people's pneumonia gets better with antibiotics, while others don't respond as well, or even develop antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a big problem where germs learn to fight off the medicines meant to kill them, making infections harder to treat. This study wants to see if the specific mix of germs in a person's airways can help doctors predict who might struggle with treatment or develop resistance.

By learning more about these tiny airway communities, the researchers hope to find new ways to give the right antibiotics to the right person at the right time. This could lead to better treatments for pneumonia, shorter hospital stays, and a reduction in the serious global issue of antibiotic resistance. Ultimately, the goal is to improve how doctors manage pneumonia and help patients get well faster.

Key takeaways

Aims to understand how germs in your airways affect pneumonia treatment.
Hopes to predict who might struggle with treatment or develop antibiotic resistance.
Could lead to better, more personalised antibiotic choices for pneumonia.
Will involve collecting samples like swabs and blood over about 3 months.
Contributes to the global fight against antibiotic resistance.

Who may be eligible?

This study is looking for adults aged 18 or older who have pneumonia. There are three main groups of people they are inviting to take part.

The first group includes patients who have caught pneumonia outside of hospital, need to be admitted to a regular hospital ward, and have started antibiotic treatment less than 24 hours ago. They must show at least one clear sign of pneumonia, like a cough, shortness of breath, or fever, along with new changes visible on a chest X-ray or CT scan. They also need to be able to provide a sputum (phlegm) sample.

The second group is for those with severe pneumonia caught outside of hospital who are in intensive care, also having started treatment less than 24 hours ago. They have similar symptoms and X-ray findings. The third group involves patients who have developed pneumonia while on a breathing machine in the hospital (called ventilator-associated pneumonia) and also require certain samples to be collected.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years old or older?
Do you have pneumonia that you caught either at home or in hospital?
Have you started your pneumonia treatment less than 24 hours ago?
Do you have typical pneumonia symptoms like cough, fever, or shortness of breath and changes on a chest X-ray?
Can you provide a phlegm (sputum) sample, or other respiratory samples if you're in ICU?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part, doctors will collect a few different samples from you at various times. This will include swabs from your mouth and tummy opening (rectum) when you first join (Day 0), and again on Day 3, between Day 7-10, and finally around Day 90. You will also have blood samples taken. If you are on a breathing machine, a special sample from your windpipe (endotracheal aspirate) will be collected. The study will track your progress in the hospital and after you go home to see how your pneumonia develops and how well you recover over about three months.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study may not directly benefit you, but the information gained could help improve pneumonia treatment for future patients. The sample collections, such as blood tests or swabs, are generally safe but may cause minor discomfort. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time without affecting your medical care.

Locations (6)

Hospital Beaujon
Verified postcode
Clichy, France· Active not recruiting
CHU Nantes - Saint Herblain
Verified postcode
Nantes, France· Not yet recruiting
CHU Nantes - Saint Herblain
Verified postcode
Nantes, France· Not yet recruiting
CHU Nantes
Verified postcode
Nantes, France· Active not recruiting
Hospital Bichat
Verified postcode
Paris, France· Recruiting
Hospital Bichat
Verified postcode
Paris, France· Active not recruiting

Common questions

What is the 'respiratory microbiome'?

It's the community of tiny living things, like bacteria, that naturally live in your airways, from your nose down to your lungs.

Why is this study important for antibiotic resistance?

By understanding how germs in your airways affect treatment, doctors hope to prescribe antibiotics more effectively, which can help slow down antibiotic resistance globally.

Will taking part in this study change my current pneumonia treatment?

No, your doctors will continue to treat your pneumonia as they normally would. This study is observing how your body responds to standard care.

What happens to the samples collected?

The samples will be carefully analysed by researchers to look at the different types of germs present and how they relate to your treatment outcomes.

How long will I be involved in the study?

You'll be involved from when you join the study until about 90 days later, with samples collected at different points during that time.

How to find out more

Jean-françois TIMSIT, MD, PHD

jean-françois.timsit@aphp.fr + 33 1 40 25 77 07 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.