Lay summary
We have high rates of children with bronchiectasis; lung scarring after early infection. The burden of disease is greater in Māori, Pasifika and children from the lowest socio-economic quintile. Treatment requires admission to hospital for intravenous antibiotics for severe or recurrent infections. However, children and youth find hospital an ‘inhospitable’ place that disrupts their schooling and whānau life. They also don’t understand when feeling better by day 5, that they need to complete 10 to 14 days of treatment. This longer course is recommended for children with cystic fibrosis, a multi-system disease requiring multiple daily medications. It is therefore conceivable that those with cystic fibrosis do need a treatment step-up for a longer time, while those with bronchiectasis on less or no treatment in the community may respond more quickly. This grant is to design a study of shorter versus longer intravenous antibiotic duration across Aotearoa New Zealand.