Treatment modalities for fever duration in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children. With increasing macrolide resistance, the use of second-line antibiotics such as tetracyclines and quinolones is also increasing. Clinical data were collected from 13 institutions between September 2023 and February 2024. MPP was defined as the detection of M. pneumoniae via polymerase chain reaction or serological tests and radiologic evidence of pneumonic infiltration. Among the 389 children with MPP included in the analysis, 89.1% were macrolide resistant (MR). The treatment groups were as follows: spontaneous resolution (SR, 21.9%), macrolide alone (ML, 18.0%), macrolide with other treatments (ML-O, 38.0%), and second-line antibiotics and/or steroids (2nd-A/S, 22.1%). The median fever duration was 5 days for the SR group, 7 days for both the ML and 2nd-A/S groups, and 8 days for the ML-O group. The ML-O group had significantly greater hospitalization rates (93.9% vs. 81.4–84.7%, P = 0.023) and longer hospital stays (5.0 days vs. 3.0–4.0 days, P < 0.001). The median times to defervescence from the initiation of macrolide and second-line treatments were 2–3 days and 0–2 days, respectively. In conclusion, despite high MR rates, macrolide monotherapy remains effective in many patients, even those with macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae.