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Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial... Apr 2016We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of a single dose of preoperative antibiotic administered perorally,... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of a single dose of preoperative antibiotic administered perorally, intravenously, intramuscularly, or topically for preventing infection and alveolar osteitis in lower third molar surgical extraction applying osteotomy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Medline, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for RCTs until August 2015. The primary outcome measure was postoperative inflammatory reactions, with a subgroup analysis of surgical site infection (SSI) and alveolar osteitis. A risk-of-bias assessment of the included trials was done according to the Cochrane guidelines.
RESULTS
A total of 53 RCTs were identified; however, only 10 could be included in the present review. A meta-analysis of the 10 trials showed a statistically significant reduction in SSI and alveolar osteitis when antibiotics had been used (odds ratio [OR] = 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19 to 0.47; P ≤ .00001). A subgroup meta-analysis of 6 trials showed that preoperative administration of antibiotics perorally or intravenously significantly reduced the incidence of SSI (OR = 0.19; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.45; P = .0002). A meta-analysis of 5 trials showed that 2 g of preoperative oral amoxicillin was able to reduce the incidence of SSI and the difference was statistically significant (OR = 0.22; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.59; P = .002). Seven trials reported on alveolar osteitis, 6 studies on oral use, 2 studies on amoxicillin, 2 on metronidazole, 2 on penicillin V, and 1 on the intravenous use of penicillin. The pooled results showed that preoperative antibiotics significantly reduced the prevalence of alveolar osteitis (OR = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.96; P = .04). The subgroup analysis showed that penicillin V was effective in reducing the incidence of alveolar osteitis (OR = 0.1; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.30; P ≤ .0001).
CONCLUSIONS
A single oral dose of 2 g of amoxicillin before lower third molar osteotomy surgical extraction significantly decreased the incidence of SSI. A single dose of 0.8 g of penicillin V before lower third molar osteotomy surgical extraction significantly decreased the incidence of alveolar osteitis.
Topics: Administration, Intravenous; Administration, Oral; Administration, Topical; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Dry Socket; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Molar, Third; Osteotomy; Surgical Wound Infection; Tooth Extraction
PubMed: 26706491
DOI: 10.1016/j.joms.2015.11.017 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... May 2015This is an update of the original review published in 2005. Acute laryngitis is a common illness worldwide. Diagnosis is often made by case history alone and treatment... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
This is an update of the original review published in 2005. Acute laryngitis is a common illness worldwide. Diagnosis is often made by case history alone and treatment often targets symptoms.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness and safety of different antibiotic therapies in adults with acute laryngitis. A secondary objective was to report the rates of adverse events associated with these treatments.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL (2014, Issue 11), MEDLINE (January 1966 to November week 3, 2014), EMBASE (1974 to December 2014), LILACS (1982 to December 2014) and BIOSIS (1980 to December 2014).
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any antibiotic therapy with placebo for acute laryngitis. The main outcome was objective voice scores.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently extracted and synthesised data.
MAIN RESULTS
We included three RCTs (351 participants) that had moderate to high risk of bias. The quality of the evidence was very low for all outcomes. We downgraded the studies because of limitations in study design or execution (risk of bias), imprecision and inconsistency of results. We included a new trial presented only as a conference abstract in this update.In one study of acute laryngitis in adults, 100 participants were randomised to receive penicillin V (800 mg twice daily for five days) or an identical placebo. A recording of each patient reading a standardised text was made at the first visit, during re-examination after one and two weeks, and at follow-up after two to six months. No significant differences were found between the groups. The trial also measured symptoms reported by participants and found no significant differences.One study investigated erythromycin for acute laryngitis in 106 adults. The mean objective voice scores measured at the first visit, at re-examination after one and two weeks, and at follow-up after two to six months did not significantly differ between the groups. At one week there were significant beneficial differences in the severity of reported vocal symptoms (slight, moderate and severe) as judged by participants (P value = 0.042). However, the rates of participants having improved voice disturbance (subjective symptoms) at one and two weeks were not significantly different among groups. Comparing erythromycin and placebo groups on the rate of persistence of cough at two weeks, the risk ratio (RR) was 0.38 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.15 to 0.97, P value = 0.04) and the number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) was 5.87 (95% CI 3.09 to 65.55). We calculated a RR of 0.64 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.90, P value = 0.034) and a NNTB of 3.76 (95% CI 2.27 to 13.52; P value = 0.01) for the subjective voice scores at one week.A third trial from Russia included 145 patients with acute laryngitis symptoms. Participants were randomised to three treatment groups: Group 1: seven-day course of fusafungine (six times a day by inhalation); Group 2: seven-day course of fusafungine (six times a day by inhalation) plus clarithromycin (250 mg twice daily for seven days); Group 3: no treatment. Clinical cure rates were measured at days 5 ± 1, 8 ± 1 and 28 ± 2. The authors reported significant differences in the rates of clinical cure at day 5 ± 1 favouring fusafungine (one trial; 93 participants; RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.20; P value = 0.04) and fusafungine plus clarithromycin (one trial 97 participants; RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.16; P value = 0.05) when compared to no treatment. However, no significant differences were found at days 8 ± 1 and 28 ± 2. Also, no significant differences were found when comparing fusafungine to fusafungine plus clarithromycin at days 5 ± 1, 8 ± 1 and 28 ± 2.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Antibiotics do not appear to be effective in treating acute laryngitis when assessing objective outcomes. They appear to be beneficial for some subjective outcomes. Erythromycin could reduce voice disturbance at one week and cough at two weeks when measured subjectively. Fusafungine could increase the cure rate at day five. The included RCTs had important methodological problems and these modest benefits from antibiotics may not outweigh their cost, adverse effects or negative consequences for antibiotic resistance patterns.
Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Clarithromycin; Depsipeptides; Erythromycin; Fusarium; Humans; Laryngitis; Penicillin V; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 26002823
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004783.pub5 -
The Journal of Antimicrobial... Aug 2022To explore the literature comparing the pharmacokinetic and clinical outcomes from adding probenecid to oral β-lactams. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
To explore the literature comparing the pharmacokinetic and clinical outcomes from adding probenecid to oral β-lactams.
METHODS
Medline and EMBASE were searched from inception to December 2021 for all English language studies comparing the addition of probenecid (intervention) with an oral β-lactam [flucloxacillin, penicillin V, amoxicillin (± clavulanate), cefalexin, cefuroxime axetil] alone (comparator). ROBINS-I and ROB-2 tools were used. Data on antibiotic therapy, infection diagnosis, primary and secondary outcomes relating to pharmacokinetics and clinical outcomes, plus adverse events were extracted and reported descriptively. For a subset of studies comparing treatment failure between probenecid and control groups, meta-analysis was performed.
RESULTS
Overall, 18/295 (6%) screened abstracts were included. Populations, methodology and outcome data were heterogeneous. Common populations included healthy volunteers (9/18; 50%) and those with gonococcal infection (6/18; 33%). Most studies were crossover trials (11/18; 61%) or parallel-arm randomized trials (4/18; 22%). Where pharmacokinetic analyses were performed, addition of probenecid to oral β-lactams increased total AUC (7/7; 100%), Cmax (5/8; 63%) and serum t½ (6/8; 75%). Probenecid improved PTA (2/2; 100%). Meta-analysis of 3105 (2258 intervention, 847 control) patients treated for gonococcal disease demonstrated a relative risk of treatment failure in the random-effects model of 0.33 (95% CI 0.20-0.55; I2 = 7%), favouring probenecid.
CONCLUSIONS
Probenecid-boosted β-lactam therapy is associated with improved outcomes in gonococcal disease. Pharmacokinetic data suggest that probenecid-boosted oral β-lactam therapy may have a broader application, but appropriately powered mechanistic and efficacy studies are required.
Topics: Amoxicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Gonorrhea; Humans; Monobactams; Probenecid; beta-Lactams
PubMed: 35726853
DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkac200 -
Anales de Pediatria (Barcelona, Spain :... Nov 2011The objective of this systematic review is to determine if the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis with a daily dose of amoxicillin is similar in effectiveness to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
The objective of this systematic review is to determine if the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis with a daily dose of amoxicillin is similar in effectiveness to other dosing schedules (every 6, 8 or 12 hours) of the same antibiotic or penicillin V.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Randomised clinical trials (RCT) comparing amoxicillin (one dose per day) compared to other dosages of amoxicillin (every 8-12 hours) or penicillin V (every 6, 8 or 12 hours). Search databases consulted: Medline, Central, EMBASE and Google Scholar. The results were combined using the risk difference (RD). We measured the effectiveness of each treatment with a negative throat culture on the 14-21th day, being previously positive to group A Streptococcus (under a non-inferiority hypothesis, where the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval [95% CI] of the DR does not exceed 10%) and clinical failure on days 10-21. The results were combined according to a fixed effects model or random depending on whether or not there was heterogeneity.
RESULTS
Four RCT met the selection criteria with 1,314 participants (657 received amoxicillin once per day, and 657 received other antibiotics or dosages): a) any positive culture for Streptococcus (14-21st day, 4 RCTs): DR: -0.5% (95% CI: -5.1% to 4.2%; b) persistence of the same serotype (14-21st day, 3 RCT): DR: 0.32% (95% CI: -3.1% to 3.7%; c) clinical failure (2 RCT): DR: 1.7% (95% CI: -1.9% to 5.4%; d) adverse effects (4 RCT): DR: -0.39% (95% CI: -1.5% to 6.8%). There were no statistically significant differences in any comparisons.
CONCLUSIONS
Amoxicillin, administered once daily is not inferior to other dosages of the same antibiotic or penicillin V. These results are important because they may facilitate compliance.
Topics: Amoxicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Drug Administration Schedule; Humans; Streptococcal Infections; Tonsillitis
PubMed: 21703951
DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2011.05.001 -
European Journal of Pediatrics Jun 2021Group A Streptococcus has been associated with a perianal infection. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on childhood streptococcal perianitis in three...
Group A Streptococcus has been associated with a perianal infection. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on childhood streptococcal perianitis in three databases: Excerpta Medica, National Library of Medicine, and Web of Science. The main purposes were to document the clinical features, the tendency to recur, the association with an asymptomatic streptococcal throat carriage, the accuracy of rapid streptococcal tests, and the mechanism possibly underlying the acquisition of this infection. More than 80% of cases are boys ≤7.0 years of age with defecation disorders, perianal pain, local itch, rectal bleeding, or fissure and a sharply demarcated perianal redness. Perianitis is associated with a streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis in about every fifth case. The time to diagnosis is ≥3 weeks in 65% of cases. Recurrences occur within 3½ months in about 20% of cases. An asymptomatic group A streptococcal throat carriage occurs in 63% of cases. As compared with perianal Streptococcus A culture, the rapid streptococcal tests have a positive predictive value of 80% and a negative predictive value of 96%. It is hypothesized that digital inoculation from nasopharynx to anus underlies perianitis. Many cases are likely caused directly by children, who are throat and nasal carriers of Streptococcus A. Some cases might occur in children, who have their bottoms wiped by caregivers with streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis or carriage of Streptococcus.Conclusion: Perianitis is an infection with a distinctive presentation and a rather long time to diagnosis. There is a need for a wider awareness of this condition among healthcare professionals. What is Known: • Group A Streptococcus may cause perianitis in childhood. • Systemic antimicrobials (penicillin V, amoxycillin, or cefuroxime) are superior to topical treatment. What is New: • The clinical presentation is distinctive (defecation disorders, perianal pain, local itch, rectal bleeding, or fissure and a sharply demarcated perianal redness). • The time to diagnosis is usually ≥3 weeks. Recurrences occur in about 20% of cases.
Topics: Amoxicillin; Anal Canal; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Pharyngitis; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus pyogenes
PubMed: 33532889
DOI: 10.1007/s00431-021-03965-9 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2020To evaluate the effectiveness of short courses of antibiotic therapy for patients with acute streptococcal pharyngitis. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the effectiveness of short courses of antibiotic therapy for patients with acute streptococcal pharyngitis.
METHODS
Randomized controlled trials comparing short-course antibiotic therapy (≤5 days) with long-course antibiotic therapy (≥7 days) for patients with streptococcal pharyngitis were included. Two primary outcomes: early clinical cure and early bacterial eradication.
RESULTS
Fifty randomized clinical trials were included. Overall, short-course antibiotic treatment was as effective as long-course antibiotic treatment for early clinical cure (odds ratio (OR) 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79 to 1.15). Subgroup analysis showed that short-course penicillin was less effective for early clinical cure (OR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.82) and bacteriological eradication (OR 0.34; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.61) in comparison to long-course penicillin. Short-course macrolides were equally effective, compared to long-course penicillin. Finally, short-course cephalosporin was more effective for early clinical cure (OR 1.48; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.96) and early microbiological cure (OR 1.60; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.27) in comparison to long-course penicillin. In total, 1211 (17.7%) participants assigned to short-course antibiotic therapy, and 893 (12.3%) cases assigned to long-course, developed adverse events (OR 1.35; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.68).
CONCLUSIONS
Macrolides and cephalosporins belong to the list of "Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials"; hence, long-course penicillin V should remain as the first line antibiotic for the management of patients with streptococcal pharyngitis as far as the benefits of using these two types of antibiotics do not outweigh the harms of their unnecessary use.
PubMed: 33114471
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9110733 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jun 2014Dental pain can have a considerable detrimental effect on an individual's quality of life. Symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess are common causes of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Dental pain can have a considerable detrimental effect on an individual's quality of life. Symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess are common causes of dental pain and arise from an inflamed or necrotic dental pulp, or infection of the pulpless root canal system. Clinical guidelines recommend that the first-line treatment for teeth with symptomatic apical periodontitis or an acute apical abscess should be removal of the source of inflammation or infection by local, operative measures, and that systemic antibiotics are currently only recommended for situations where there is evidence of spreading infection (cellulitis, lymph node involvement, diffuse swelling) or systemic involvement (fever, malaise). Despite this, there is evidence that dentists continue to prescribe antibiotics for these conditions. There is concern that this could contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial colonies both within the individual and within the community as a whole.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effects of systemic antibiotics provided with or without surgical intervention (such as extraction, incision and drainage of a swelling or endodontic treatment), with or without analgesics, for symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical abscess in adults.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the following electronic databases: Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register (to 1 October 2013); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2013, Issue 9); MEDLINE via OVID (1946 to 1 October 2013); EMBASE via OVID (1980 to 1 October 2013) and CINAHL via EBSCO (1980 to 1 October 2013). We searched the World Health Organization (WHO) International Trials Registry Platform and the US National Institutes of Health Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) on 1 October 2013 to identify ongoing trials. We searched for grey literature using OpenGrey (to 1 October 2013) and ZETOC Conference Proceedings (1993 to 1 October 2013). We placed no restrictions on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials of systemic antibiotics in adults with a clinical diagnosis of symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical abscess, with or without surgical intervention (considered in this situation to be extraction, incision and drainage or endodontic treatment) and with or without analgesics.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors screened the results of the searches against inclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed risk of bias independently and in duplicate. We calculated mean differences (MD) (standardised mean difference (SMD) when different scales were reported) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for continuous data and, where results were meta-analysed, we used a fixed-effect model as there were fewer than four studies. We contacted study authors to obtain missing information.
MAIN RESULTS
We included two trials in this review, with 62 participants included in the analyses. Both trials were conducted in university dental schools in the USA and compared the effects of oral penicillin V potassium (penicillin VK) versus a matched placebo given in conjunction with a surgical intervention (total or partial pulpectomy) and analgesics to adults with acute apical abscess or symptomatic necrotic tooth (no signs of spreading infection or systemic involvement (fever, malaise)). We assessed one study as having a high risk of bias and the other study as having unclear risk of bias.The primary outcome variables presented were participant-reported pain and swelling (one trial also reported participant-reported percussion pain). One study reported the type and number of analgesics taken by participants. One study recorded the incidence of postoperative endodontic flare-ups (people who returned with symptoms that necessitated further treatment). Adverse effects as reported in one study were diarrhoea (one participant, placebo group) and fatigue and reduced energy postoperatively (one participant, antibiotic group). No studies reporting quality of life measurements were suitable for inclusion. Objective 1: systemic antibiotics versus placebo with surgical intervention and analgesics for symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical abscess. Two studies provided data for the comparison between systemic antibiotics (penicillin VK) and a matched placebo for adults with acute apical abscess or a symptomatic necrotic tooth. Participants in one study all underwent a total pulpectomy of the affected tooth while participants in the other study had their tooth treated by either partial or total pulpectomy. Participants in both trials received oral analgesics. There were no statistically significant differences in participant-reported measures of pain or swelling at any of the time points assessed within the review. The MD for pain (short ordinal numerical scale 0 to 3) was -0.03 (95% CI -0.53 to 0.47) at 24 hours; 0.32 (95% CI -0.22 to 0.86) at 48 hours and 0.08 (95% CI -0.38 to 0.54) at 72 hours. The SMD for swelling was 0.27 (95% CI -0.23 to 0.78) at 24 hours; 0.04 (95% CI -0.47 to 0.55) at 48 hours and 0.02 (95% CI -0.49 to 0.52) at 72 hours. The body of evidence was assessed as at very low quality. Objective 2: systemic antibiotics without surgical intervention for adults with symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical abscess. We found no studies that compared the effects of systemic antibiotics with a matched placebo delivered without a surgical intervention for symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical abscess in adults.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is very low quality evidence that is insufficient to determine the effects of systemic antibiotics on adults with symptomatic apical periodontitis or acute apical abscess.
Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Humans; Penicillin V; Periapical Abscess; Periapical Periodontitis; Pulpectomy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 24967571
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010136.pub2 -
PloS One 2021To assess effects of treatment against a hypothesized neuroinflammation in children with symptoms corresponding to the research condition Pediatric Acute-onset...
Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and immunomodulatory treatment in children with symptoms corresponding to the research condition PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome): A systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To assess effects of treatment against a hypothesized neuroinflammation in children with symptoms corresponding to the research condition Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) which is not included in current diagnostic systems.
METHODS
Systematic literature searches were performed (1998 to June 2020) in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and HTA databases. Inclusion criteria: patients (P) were children (<18 years) with PANS; intervention (I)/comparison (C) was use of, versus no use of, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial or immunomodulating treatments; outcomes (O) were health-related quality of life (HRQL), level of functioning, symptom change, and complications.
RESULTS
Four randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and three non-RCTs, including 23 to 98 patients, fulfilled the PICO. HRQL was not investigated in any study. Regarding level of functioning, two RCTs investigated antibiotics (penicillin V, azithromycin) and one RCT investigated immunomodulating treatments (intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), plasma exchange). Regarding symptoms, two non-RCTs investigated anti-inflammatory treatment (cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, corticosteroids), two RCTs and one non-RCT investigated antibiotics (penicillin V, azithromycin), and two RCTs investigated immunomodulating treatments (IVIG, plasma exchange). Complications, reported in five studies, were consistent with those listed in the summary of products characteristics (SPC). All studies were assessed to have some or major problems regarding directness, the absence of an established diagnosis contributing to clinical diversity in the studied populations. All studies were assessed to have major risk of bias, including selection and detection biases. Due to clinical and methodological diversity, meta-analyses were not performed.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review reveals very low certainty of evidence of beneficial effects, and moderate certainty of evidence of adverse effects, of anti-inflammatory, antibacterial or immunomodulating treatments in patients with symptoms corresponding to the research condition PANS. Available evidence neither supports nor excludes potential beneficial effects, but supports that such treatment can result in adverse effects.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO (CRD42020155714).
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Autoimmune Diseases; Child; Combined Modality Therapy; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Immunologic Factors; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Plasma Exchange; Quality of Life; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34197525
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253844 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Mar 2019Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects approximately two per cent of the general population. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form: it usually appears as...
BACKGROUND
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects approximately two per cent of the general population. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form: it usually appears as raised, red patches of inflamed skin, covered with silvery white scales. The patches often occur in a symmetrical pattern. Guttate psoriasis is a particular form of psoriasis with widespread, small erythematosquamous lesions. Streptococcal infection is suspected to be a triggering factor for the onset of guttate psoriasis, and flare-up of chronic plaque psoriasis. The previous Cochrane Review on this topic was published in 2000; it required an update because antistreptococcal treatment continues to be used to treat psoriasis, especially for the acute form of guttate psoriasis.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of antistreptococcal interventions for guttate and chronic plaque psoriasis.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched Cochrane Skin Specialised Register, Cochrane Register of Studies Online, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and five trials registers (January 2019). We checked the reference lists of included and excluded studies and searched conference proceedings from the American Academy of Dermatology, Society for Investigative Dermatology, and European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing antistreptococcal interventions (tonsillectomy or systemic antibiotic treatment) in people with clinically diagnosed acute guttate and chronic plaque psoriasis compared with placebo, no intervention, or each other.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Primary outcome measures were: 1) time-to-resolution; achieving clear or almost clear skin (Physician Global Assessment (PGA) 0 or 1 or Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 or 100); 2) proportion of participants with adverse effects and severe adverse effects. Secondary outcomes were: 1) proportion of participants achieving clear or almost clear skin; 2) proportion of participants achieving PASI 75 or PGA 1 to 2; 3) risk of having at least one relapse at long-term follow-up. Short-term assessment was defined as within eight weeks of the start of treatment; long-term was at least one year after the start of treatment.
MAIN RESULTS
We included five trials (162 randomised participants); three were conducted in a hospital dermatology department. One study declared funding by a pharmaceutical company. Participants' ages ranged from 12 to 77 years; only two participants were younger than 15 years. Mean PASI score at baseline varied from 5.7 (i.e. mild) to 23 (i.e. severe) in four studies. Twenty-three of 162 participants had streptococcus-positive throat swab culture. We did not perform a meta-analysis due to heterogeneity of participants' characteristics and interventions.None of the trials measured our efficacy primary outcome, time-to-resolution, or the secondary outcome, risk of having at least one relapse at long-term follow-up.We rated the quality of the results as very low-quality evidence, due to high risk of bias (absence of blinding of participants and caregivers, and high risk of outcome reporting bias) and imprecision (single study data with a low number of events). Hence, we are very uncertain about the results presented.Guttate psoriasisOne three-armed trial (N = 43) assessed penicillin (50,000 international units (IU)/kg/day in three doses) versus erythromycin (250 mg four times per day) versus no treatment (treatment for 14 days, with six-week follow-up from start of treatment). Adverse events and the proportion of participants achieving clear or almost clear skin were not measured.One trial (N = 20) assessed penicillin (1.6 MU (million units) intramuscularly once a day) versus no treatment (six weeks of treatment, with eight-week follow-up from start of treatment). At six-week (short-term) follow-up, no adverse events were observed in either group, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the proportion of participants with clear or almost clear skin (risk ratio (RR) 2.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68 to 5.85).One trial (N = 20) assessed rifampicin (300 mg twice daily) versus placebo (14-day treatment duration; six-week follow-up from start of treatment); none of the review outcomes were measured.These trials did not measure the proportion of participants achieving PASI 75 or PGA 1 to 2.Chronic plaque psoriasisOne trial (N = 50) assessed long-term azithromycin treatment (500 mg daily dose) versus vitamin C. Adverse events were reported in the azithromycin group (10 out of 30 had nausea and mild abdominal upset), but not in the vitamin C group. The proportion of participants who achieved clear or almost clear skin was not measured. In the azithromycin group, 18/30 versus 0/20 participants in the vitamin C group reached PASI 75 at the end of 48 weeks of treatment (RR 25.06, 95% CI 1.60 to 393.59).One trial (N = 29) assessed tonsillectomy versus no treatment, with 24-month follow-up after surgery. One participant in the tonsillectomy group had minor bleeding. At eight-week follow-up, 1/15 in the tonsillectomy group, and 0/14 in the no treatment group achieved PASI 90; and 3/15 participants in the tonsillectomy group, and 0/14 in the no treatment group achieved PASI 75 (RR 6.56, 95% CI 0.37 to 116.7).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
We found only five trials (N = 162), which assessed the effects of five comparisons (systemic antibiotic treatment (penicillin, azithromycin) or tonsillectomy). Two comparisons (erythromycin compared to no treatment, and rifampicin compared to placebo) did not measure any of the outcomes of interest. There was very low-quality evidence for the outcomes that were measured, Therefore, we are uncertain of both the efficacy and safety of antistreptococcal interventions for guttate and chronic plaque psoriasis.The included trials were at unclear or high risk of bias and involved only a small number of unrepresentative participants, with limited measurement of our outcomes of interest. The studies did not allow investigation into the influence of Streptococcal infection, and a key intervention (amoxicillin) was not assessed.Further trials assessing the efficacy and tolerance of penicillin V or amoxicillin are needed in children and young adults with guttate psoriasis.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Ascorbic Acid; Azithromycin; Child; Erythromycin; Humans; Middle Aged; Penicillin V; Psoriasis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rifampin; Streptococcal Infections; Tonsillectomy; Vitamins
PubMed: 30835819
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011571.pub2 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Sep 2015Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children account for 1.4 million deaths annually worldwide. Antibiotics could be beneficial in preventing LRTIs in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children account for 1.4 million deaths annually worldwide. Antibiotics could be beneficial in preventing LRTIs in high-risk children, and may also help prevent school absenteeism and work days missed by children and/or carers. While it is well documented that the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis for RTIs decreases over time, there are no reviews that describe the use of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent LRTIs in high-risk children aged 12 years and under.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness and safety of antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of bacterial LRTIs in high-risk children aged 12 years and under.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2015, Issue 1) and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), MEDLINE and MEDLINE In-Process (OvidSP) (1946 to 13 February 2015), EMBASE (OvidSP) (1974 to 12 February 2015), Science Citation Index Expanded (1945 to 13 February 2015) and Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (Web of Science Core Collection) (1990 to 13 February 2015). We searched for ongoing studies on ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization ICTRP. We handsearched the bibliographies of retrieved full texts of relevant studies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing oral or intravenous antibiotics versus placebo or no treatment to prevent infections in high-risk children aged 12 years and under. We used a combination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Health Service (NHS), American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines to define conditions at higher risk of complications. Our primary outcome was the incidence of bacterial lower respiratory infections. Secondary outcomes included clinical function, hospital admission, mortality, growth, use of secondary antibiotics, time off school or parental work, quality of life and adverse events.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We extracted data using a customised data extraction sheet, assessed the risk of bias of included studies using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' criteria, and used the GRADE criteria to rate the quality of the evidence. We used a random-effects model for meta-analysis. We presented the results narratively where we could not statistically combine data.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 10 RCTs of high-risk children using antibiotics (azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, isoniazid, oral penicillin V or vancomycin) to prevent LRTIs. Three studies included HIV-infected children (n = 1345), four cystic fibrosis (n = 429) and one each sickle cell disease (n = 219), cancer (n = 160) and low birth weight neonates with underlying respiratory disorders (n = 40). The study duration ranged from seven days to three years. The quality of the evidence from studies including children with HIV infection, cystic fibrosis or cancer was moderate. Due to inadequate data, we were unable to rate the quality of the evidence for two studies: one in children with sickle cell disease (low risk of bias), and another in low birth weight neonates with underlying respiratory disorders (high risk of bias).In HIV-infected children receiving continuous isoniazid prophylaxis, there was no significant difference in the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis (risk ratio (RR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32 to 1.29, I(2) statistic = 47%, P value = 0.21). There was no significant effect on mortality with co-trimoxazole or isoniazid prophylaxis (RR 0.82, 0.46 to 1.46, I(2) statistic = 76%, P value = 0.58); however, analysis of one study that used co-trimoxazole showed a significant reduction in mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.85, P value = 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the rates of hospital admission per child-year of follow-up with co-trimoxazole prophylaxis in one study (P value = 0.01). There was no evidence of increased adverse events due to antibiotic prophylaxis (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.64, I(2) statistic = 22%, P value = 0.28); however, there was scant reporting of antibiotic resistance - the one study that did assess this found no increase.In two studies of children with cystic fibrosis receiving ciprofloxacin prophylaxis, there was no significant difference in Pseudomonas infections (RR 0.76, 0.44 to 1.31, I(2) statistic = 0%, P value = 0.33). In two studies assessing the benefit of azithromycin prophylaxis, there was a significant reduction in the frequency of pulmonary exacerbations (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.76, I(2) statistic = 0%, P value < 0.0001). The effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on growth in children with cystic fibrosis was inconsistent across the studies. There was an increased risk of emergence of pathogenic strains with either azithromycin or ciprofloxacin prophylaxis in two studies reporting this outcome. There was no significant difference in the quality of life (one study). In three studies, there was no significant increase in the frequency of adverse events with prophylaxis with azithromycin (two studies) or ciprofloxacin (one study). There was no evidence of increased antibiotic resistance in two studies.In the one study of children with sickle cell disease, a significantly lesser proportion of children with pneumococcal septicaemia was reported with penicillin V prophylaxis (P value = 0.0025).In the one study of children with cancer there was a significant decrease in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis (RR 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.47, P value < 0.01). There was no significant increase in the frequency of adverse events with antibiotic prophylaxis.In low birth weight children with underlying respiratory disorders, there was no significant difference in the proportion of children with pulmonary infection with vancomycin prophylaxis (P value = 0.18).No included studies reported time off school or carer time off work.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is inconclusive evidence that antibiotic prophylaxis in certain groups of high-risk children can reduce pneumonia, exacerbations, hospital admission and mortality in certain conditions. However, limitations in the evidence base mean more clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of antibiotics for preventing LRTIs in children at high risk should be conducted. Specifically, clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of antibiotics for preventing LRTIs in congenital heart disease, metabolic disease, endocrine and renal disorders, neurological disease or prematurity should be a priority.
Topics: Anemia, Sickle Cell; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Cystic Fibrosis; HIV Infections; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Respiratory Tract Infections
PubMed: 26408070
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011530.pub2