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BMJ Clinical Evidence Sep 2014Croup is characterised by the abrupt onset, most commonly at night, of a barking cough, inspiratory stridor, hoarseness, and respiratory distress due to upper airway... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Croup is characterised by the abrupt onset, most commonly at night, of a barking cough, inspiratory stridor, hoarseness, and respiratory distress due to upper airway obstruction. It leads to signs of upper airway obstruction, and must be differentiated from acute epiglottitis, bacterial tracheitis, or an inhaled foreign body. Croup affects about 3% of children per year, usually between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, and 75% of infections are caused by parainfluenza virus. Symptoms usually resolve within 48 hours, but severe upper airway obstruction can, rarely, lead to respiratory failure and arrest.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments in children with mild croup and moderate to severe croup? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to November 2013 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
RESULTS
We found 19 studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: corticosteroids (dexamethasone, intramuscular and oral), nebulised budesonide, oral prednisolone, heliox, humidification, and nebulised adrenaline (racemate and L-adrenaline [ephinephrine]).
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Budesonide; Cough; Croup; Epinephrine; Helium; Humans; Humidity; Oxygen; Prednisolone
PubMed: 25263284
DOI: No ID Found -
Redox Report : Communications in Free... Dec 2018p53 is a tumor suppressor protein involved in regulating a wide array of signaling pathways. The role of p53 in the cell is determined by the type of imposed oxidative... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
p53 is a tumor suppressor protein involved in regulating a wide array of signaling pathways. The role of p53 in the cell is determined by the type of imposed oxidative stress, its intensity and duration. The last decade of research has unravelled a dual nature in the function of p53 in mediating the oxidative stress burden. However, this is dependent on the specific properties of the applied stress and thus requires further analysis.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed following an electronic search of Pubmed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases. Articles published in the English language between January 1, 1990 and March 1, 2017 were identified and isolated based on the analysis of p53 in skeletal muscle in both animal and cell culture models.
RESULTS
Literature was categorized according to the modality of imposed oxidative stress including exercise, diet modification, exogenous oxidizing agents, tissue manipulation, irradiation, and hypoxia. With low to moderate levels of oxidative stress, p53 is involved in activating pathways that increase time for cell repair, such as cell cycle arrest and autophagy, to enhance cell survival. However, with greater levels of stress intensity and duration, such as with irradiation, hypoxia, and oxidizing agents, the role of p53 switches to facilitate increased cellular stress levels by initiating DNA fragmentation to induce apoptosis, thereby preventing aberrant cell proliferation.
CONCLUSION
Current evidence confirms that p53 acts as a threshold regulator of cellular homeostasis. Therefore, within each modality, the intensity and duration are parameters of the oxidative stressor that must be analyzed to determine the role p53 plays in regulating signaling pathways to maintain cellular health and function in skeletal muscle.
ABBREVIATIONS
Acadl: acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, long chain; Acadm: acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, C-4 to C-12 straight chain; AIF: apoptosis-inducing factor; Akt: protein kinase B (PKB); AMPK: AMP-activated protein kinase; ATF-4: activating transcription factor 4; ATM: ATM serine/threonine kinase; Bax: BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator; Bcl-2: B cell Leukemia/Lymphoma 2 apoptosis regulator; Bhlhe40: basic helix-loop-helix family member e40; BH3: Borane; Bim: bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death; Bok: Bcl-2 related ovarian killer; COX-IV: cytochrome c oxidase IV; cGMP: Cyclic guanosine monophosphate; c-myc: proto-oncogene protein; Cpt1b: carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B; Dr5: death receptor 5; eNOS: endothelial nitric oxide synthase; ERK: extracellular regulated MAP kinase; Fas: Fas Cell surface death receptor; FDXR: Ferredoxin Reductase; FOXO3a: forkhead box O3; Gadd45a: growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 alpha; GLS2: glutaminase 2; GLUT 1 and 4: glucose transporter 1(endothelial) and 4 (skeletal muscle); GSH: Glutathione; Hes1: hes family bHLH transcription factor 1; Hey1: hes related family bHLH transcription factor with YRPW motif 1; HIFI-α: hypoxia-inducible factor 1, α-subunit; HK2: Hexokinase 2; HSP70: Heat Shock Protein 70; HO: Hydrogen Peroxide; Id2: inhibitor of DNA-binding 2; IGF-1-BP3: Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3; IL-1β: Interleukin 1 beta; iNOS: inducible nitric oxide synthase; IRS-1: Insulin receptor substrate 1; JNK: c-Jun N-terminal kinases; LY-83583: 6-anilino-5,8-quinolinedione; inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase and of cGMP production; Mdm 2/ 4: Mouse double minute 2 homolog (mouse) Mdm4 (humans); mtDNA: mitochondrial DNA; MURF1: Muscle RING-finger protein-1; MyoD: Myogenic differentiation 1; MyoG: myogenin; Nanog: Nanog homeobox; NF-kB: Nuclear factor-κB; NO: nitric oxide; NoxA: phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1 (Pmaip1); NRF-1: nuclear respiratory factor 1; Nrf2: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; P21: Cdkn1a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (P21); P38 MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinases; p53R2: p53 inducible ribonucleotide reductase gene; P66Shc: src homology 2 domain-containing transforming protein C1; PERP: p53 apoptosis effector related to PMP-22; PGC-1α: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha; PGM: phosphoglucomutase; PI3K: Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase; PKCβ: protein kinase c beta; PTEN: phosphatase and tensin homolog; PTIO: 2-phenyl-4, 4, 5, 5,-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO) has been used as a nitric oxide (NO) scavenger; Puma: The p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis; PW1: paternally expressed 3 (Peg3); RNS: Reactive nitrogen species; SIRT1: sirtuin 1; SCO2: cytochrome c oxidase assembly protein; SOD2: superoxide dismutase 2; Tfam: transcription factor A mitochondrial; TIGAR: Trp53 induced glycolysis repulatory phosphatase; TNF-a: tumor necrosis factor a; TRAF2: TNF receptor associated factor 2; TRAIL: type II transmembrane protein.
Topics: Animals; Diet; Exercise; Humans; Muscle, Skeletal; Oxidative Stress; Oxygen; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Radiation Injuries; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
PubMed: 29298131
DOI: 10.1080/13510002.2017.1416773 -
Critical Care (London, England) Aug 2016The time course of blood lactate levels could be helpful to assess a patient's response to therapy. Although the focus of published studies has been largely on septic... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The time course of blood lactate levels could be helpful to assess a patient's response to therapy. Although the focus of published studies has been largely on septic patients, many other studies have reported serial blood lactate levels in different groups of acutely ill patients.
METHODS
We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Science Direct, and Embase until the end of February 2016 plus reference lists of relevant publications. We selected all observational and interventional studies that evaluated the capacity of serial blood lactate concentrations to predict outcome. There was no restriction based on language. We excluded studies in pediatric populations, experimental studies, and studies that did not report changes in lactate values or all-cause mortality rates. We separated studies according to the type of patients included. We collected data on the number of patients, timing of lactate measurements, minimum lactate level needed for inclusion if present, and suggested time interval for predictive use.
RESULTS
A total of 96 studies met our criteria: 14 in general ICU populations, five in general surgical ICU populations, five in patients post cardiac surgery, 14 in trauma patients, 39 in patients with sepsis, four in patients with cardiogenic shock, eight in patients after cardiac arrest, three in patients with respiratory failure, and four in other conditions. A decrease in lactate levels over time was consistently associated with lower mortality rates in all subgroups of patients. Most studies reported changes over 6, 12 or 24 hrs, fewer used shorter time intervals. Lactate kinetics did not appear very different in patients with sepsis and other types of patients. A few studies suggested that therapy could be guided by these measurements.
CONCLUSIONS
The observation of a better outcome associated with decreasing blood lactate concentrations was consistent throughout the clinical studies, and was not limited to septic patients. In all groups, the changes are relatively slow, so that lactate measurements every 1-2 hrs are probably sufficient in most acute conditions. The value of lactate kinetics appears to be valid regardless of the initial value.
Topics: Critical Illness; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Lactic Acid; Sepsis
PubMed: 27520452
DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1403-5 -
BMJ Clinical Evidence Mar 2009Croup leads to signs of upper airway obstruction, and must be differentiated from acute epiglottitis, bacterial tracheitis, or an inhaled foreign body. Croup affects... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Croup leads to signs of upper airway obstruction, and must be differentiated from acute epiglottitis, bacterial tracheitis, or an inhaled foreign body. Croup affects about 3% of children a year, usually between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, and 75% of infections are caused by Parainfluenza virus. Symptoms usually resolve within 48 hours, but severe infection can, rarely, lead to pneumonia, and to respiratory failure and arrest.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments in children with: mild croup; moderate to severe croup; and impending respiratory failure because of severe croup? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to June 2008 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
RESULTS
We found 43 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: antibiotics, corticosteroids, dexamethasone (intramuscular, oral, single-dose oral, route of administration), heliox, humidification, intermittent positive pressure breathing, L-adrenaline, nebulised adrenaline (epinephrine), nebulised budesonide, nebulised short-acting beta(2) agonists, oral decongestants, oral prednisolone, oxygen, and sedatives.
Topics: Administration, Inhalation; Administration, Oral; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Budesonide; Croup; Dexamethasone; Epinephrine; Humans; Infant
PubMed: 19445760
DOI: No ID Found -
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) May 2020To provide an overview and critical appraisal of early warning scores for adult hospital patients.
OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview and critical appraisal of early warning scores for adult hospital patients.
DESIGN
Systematic review.
DATA SOURCES
Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Embase until June 2019.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STUDY SELECTION
Studies describing the development or external validation of an early warning score for adult hospital inpatients.
RESULTS
13 171 references were screened and 95 articles were included in the review. 11 studies were development only, 23 were development and external validation, and 61 were external validation only. Most early warning scores were developed for use in the United States (n=13/34, 38%) and the United Kingdom (n=10/34, 29%). Death was the most frequent prediction outcome for development studies (n=10/23, 44%) and validation studies (n=66/84, 79%), with different time horizons (the most frequent was 24 hours). The most common predictors were respiratory rate (n=30/34, 88%), heart rate (n=28/34, 83%), oxygen saturation, temperature, and systolic blood pressure (all n=24/34, 71%). Age (n=13/34, 38%) and sex (n=3/34, 9%) were less frequently included. Key details of the analysis populations were often not reported in development studies (n=12/29, 41%) or validation studies (n=33/84, 39%). Small sample sizes and insufficient numbers of event patients were common in model development and external validation studies. Missing data were often discarded, with just one study using multiple imputation. Only nine of the early warning scores that were developed were presented in sufficient detail to allow individualised risk prediction. Internal validation was carried out in 19 studies, but recommended approaches such as bootstrapping or cross validation were rarely used (n=4/19, 22%). Model performance was frequently assessed using discrimination (development n=18/22, 82%; validation n=69/84, 82%), while calibration was seldom assessed (validation n=13/84, 15%). All included studies were rated at high risk of bias.
CONCLUSIONS
Early warning scores are widely used prediction models that are often mandated in daily clinical practice to identify early clinical deterioration in hospital patients. However, many early warning scores in clinical use were found to have methodological weaknesses. Early warning scores might not perform as well as expected and therefore they could have a detrimental effect on patient care. Future work should focus on following recommended approaches for developing and evaluating early warning scores, and investigating the impact and safety of using these scores in clinical practice.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42017053324.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Blood Pressure; Clinical Deterioration; Critical Care; Death; Early Warning Score; Female; Heart Arrest; Heart Rate; Hospitals; Humans; Inpatients; Male; Middle Aged; Oxyhemoglobins; Prognosis; Respiratory Rate; Temperature; United Kingdom; United States
PubMed: 32434791
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m1501 -
Intensive Care Medicine Nov 2022The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the incidence rate of cardiac arrest and severe complications occurring under... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the incidence rate of cardiac arrest and severe complications occurring under non-invasive ventilation (NIV).
METHODS
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies between 1981 and 2020 that enrolled adults in whom NIV was used to treat acute respiratory failure (ARF). We generated the pooled incidence and confidence interval (95% CI) of NIV-related cardiac arrest per patient (primary outcome) and performed a meta-regression to assess the association with study characteristics. We also generated the pooled incidences of NIV failure and hospital mortality.
RESULTS
Three hundred and eight studies included a total of 7,601,148 participants with 36,326 patients under NIV (8187 in 138 randomized controlled trials, 9783 in 99 prospective observational studies, and 18,356 in 71 retrospective studies). Only 19 (6%) of the analyzed studies reported the rate of NIV-related cardiac arrest. Forty-nine cardiac arrests were reported. The pooled incidence was 0.01% (95% CI 0.00-0.02, I = 0% (0-15)). NIV failure was reported in 4371 patients, with a pooled incidence of 11.1% (95% CI 9.0-13.3). After meta-regression, NIV failure and the study period (before 2010) were significantly associated with NIV-related cardiac arrest. The hospital mortality pooled incidence was 6.0% (95% CI 4.4-7.9).
CONCLUSION
Cardiac arrest related to NIV occurred in one per 10,000 patients under NIV for ARF treatment. NIV-related cardiac arrest was associated with NIV failure.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Noninvasive Ventilation; Respiratory Insufficiency; Retrospective Studies; Respiration, Artificial; Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Hospital Mortality; Heart Arrest; Observational Studies as Topic
PubMed: 36112157
DOI: 10.1007/s00134-022-06821-y -
EBioMedicine Dec 2022A growing number of studies have reported an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disease (RD) within hours after exposure to ambient air... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis of intraday effects of ambient air pollution and temperature on cardiorespiratory morbidities: First few hours of exposure matters to life.
BACKGROUND
A growing number of studies have reported an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disease (RD) within hours after exposure to ambient air pollution or temperature. We assemble published evidence on the sub-daily associations of CVD and RD with ambient air pollution and temperature.
METHODS
Databases of PubMed and Web of Science were searched for original case-crossover and time-series designs of English articles examining the intra-day effects of ambient air pollution [particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM), ≤10 μm (PM), 2.5-10μm (PM), and < 7 μm (SPM), O, SO, NO, CO, and NO] and temperatures (heat and cold) on cardiorespiratory diseases within 24 h after exposure in the general population by comparing with exposure at different exposure levels or periods. Meta-analyses were conducted to pool excess risks (ERs, absolute percentage increase in risk) of CVD and RD morbidities associated with an increase of 10 μg/m in particulate matters, 0.1 ppm in CO, and 10 ppb in other gaseous pollutants.
FINDINGS
Final analysis included thirty-three papers from North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. Meta-analysis found an increased risk of total CVD morbidity within 3 h after exposure to PM [ER%: 2.65% (95% CI: 1.00% to 4.34%)], PM [0.31% (0.02% to 0.59%)], O [1.42% (0.14% to 2.73%)], and CO [0.41% (0.01% to 0.81%)]. The risk of total RD morbidity elevated at lag 7-12 h after exposure to PM [0.69% (0.14% to 1.24%)] and PM [0.38% (0.02% to 0.73%)] and at lag 12-24 h after exposure to SO [2.68% (0.94% to 4.44%)]. Cause-specific CVD analysis observed an increased risk of myocardial infarction morbidity within 6 h after exposure to PM, PM, and NO, and an increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest morbidity within 12 h after exposure to CO. Risk of total CVD also increased within 24 h after exposure to heat.
INTERPRETATION
This study supports a sudden risk increase of cardiorespiratory diseases within a few hours after exposure to air pollution or heat, and some acute and highly lethal diseases such as myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest could be affected within a shorter time.
FUNDING
The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42105165; 81773518), the High-level Scientific Research Foundation of Anhui Medical University (Grant No. 0305044201), and the Discipline Construction of Anhui Medical University (Grant No. 0301001836).
Topics: Humans; Temperature; Nitrogen Dioxide; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Particulate Matter; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Morbidity; Myocardial Infarction; China; Environmental Exposure
PubMed: 36323182
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104327 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2021We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation, inflammation, signal transduction and animal models.... (Review)
Review
We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation, inflammation, signal transduction and animal models. A total of 1204 publications on cordycepin were found by the cut-off date of 1 February 2021. After application of the exclusion criteria, 791 papers remained. These were read and data on the chosen subjects were extracted. We found 192 papers on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation and calculated a median inhibitory concentration (IC) of 135 µM. Cordycepin consistently repressed cell migration (26 papers) and cellular inflammation (53 papers). Evaluation of 76 papers on signal transduction indicated consistently reduced PI3K/mTOR/AKT and ERK signalling and activation of AMPK. In contrast, the effects of cordycepin on the p38 and Jun kinases were variable, as were the effects on cell cycle arrest (53 papers), suggesting these are cell-specific responses. The examination of 150 animal studies indicated that purified cordycepin has many potential therapeutic effects, including the reduction of tumour growth (37 papers), repression of pain and inflammation (9 papers), protecting brain function (11 papers), improvement of respiratory and cardiac conditions (8 and 19 papers) and amelioration of metabolic disorders (8 papers). Nearly all these data are consistent with cordycepin mediating its therapeutic effects through activating AMPK, inhibiting PI3K/mTOR/AKT and repressing the inflammatory response. We conclude that cordycepin has excellent potential as a lead for drug development, especially for age-related diseases. In addition, we discuss the remaining issues around the mechanism of action, toxicity and biodistribution of cordycepin.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Brain Diseases; Deoxyadenosines; Humans; Inflammation; Metabolic Diseases; Neoplasms; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 34641429
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195886 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jun 2018Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects over 300 million adults and children worldwide. It is characterised by wheeze, cough, chest tightness, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects over 300 million adults and children worldwide. It is characterised by wheeze, cough, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Symptoms typically are intermittent and may worsen over a short time, leading to an exacerbation. Asthma exacerbations can be serious, leading to hospitalisation or even death in rare cases. Exacerbations may be treated by increasing an individual's usual medication and providing additional medication, such as oral steroids. Although antibiotics are sometimes included in the treatment regimen, bacterial infections are thought to be responsible for only a minority of exacerbations, and current guidance states that antibiotics should be reserved for cases in which clear signs, symptoms, or laboratory test results are suggestive of bacterial infection.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the efficacy and safety of antibiotics in the treatment of asthma exacerbations.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Airways Trials Register, which contains records compiled from multiple electronic and handsearched resources. We also searched trial registries and reference lists of primary studies. We conducted the most recent search in October 2017.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included studies comparing antibiotic therapy for asthma exacerbations in adults or children versus placebo or usual care not involving an antibiotic. We allowed studies including any type of antibiotic, any dose, and any duration, providing the aim was to treat the exacerbation. We included parallel studies of any duration conducted in any setting and planned to include cluster trials. We excluded cross-over trials. We included studies reported as full-text articles, those published as abstracts only, and unpublished data.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
At least two review authors screened the search results for eligible studies. We extracted outcome data, assessed risk of bias in duplicate, and resolved discrepancies by involving another review author. We analysed dichotomous data as odds ratios (ORs) or risk differences (RDs), and continuous data as mean differences (MDs), all with a fixed-effect model. We described skewed data narratively. We graded the results and presented evidence in 'Summary of findings' tables for each comparison. Primary outcomes were intensive care unit/high dependence unit (ICU/HDU) admission, duration of symptoms/exacerbations, and all adverse events. Seconday outcomes were mortality, length of hospital admission, relapse after index presentation, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR).
MAIN RESULTS
Six studies met our inclusion criteria and included a total of 681 adults and children with exacerbations of asthma. Mean age in the three studies in adults ranged from 36.2 to 41.2 years. The three studies in children applied varied inclusion criteria, ranging from one to 18 years of age. Five studies explicitly excluded participants with obvious signs and symptoms of bacterial infection (i.e. those clearly meeting current guidance to receive antibiotics). Four studies investigated macrolide antibiotics, and two studies investigated penicillin (amoxicillin and ampicillin) antibiotics; both studies using penicillin were conducted over 35 years ago. Five studies compared antibiotics versus placebo, and one was open-label. Study follow-up ranged from one to twelve weeks. Trials were of varied methodological quality, and we were able to perform only limited meta-analysis.None of the included trials reported ICU/HDU admission, although one participant in the placebo group of a study including children with status asthmaticus experienced a respiratory arrest and was ventilated. Four studies reported asthma symptoms, but we were able to combine results for only two macrolide studies of 416 participants; the MD in diary card symptom score was -0.34 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.60 to -0.08), with lower scores (on a 7 point scale) denoting improved symptoms. Two macrolide studies reported symptom-free days. One study of 255 adults authors reported the percentage of symptom-free days at 10 days as 16% in the antibiotic group and 8% in the placebo group. In a further study of 40 children study authors reported significantly more symptom-free days at all time points in the antibiotic group compared with the usual care group. The same study reported the duration in days of the index asthma exacerbation, again favouring the antibiotic group. One study of a penicillin including 69 participants reported asthma symptoms at hospital discharge; the between-group difference for both studies was reported as non-significant.We combined data for serious adverse events from three studies involving 502 participants, but events were rare; the three trials reported only 10 events: five in the antibiotic group and five in the placebo group. We combined data for all adverse events (AEs) from three studies, but the effect estimate is imprecise (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.43). No deaths were reported in any of the included studies.Two studies investigating penicillins reported admission duration; neither study reported a between-group difference. In one study (263 participants) of macrolides, two participants in each arm were reported as experiencing a relapse, defined as a further exacerbation, by the six-week time points. We combined PEFR endpoint results at 10 days for two macrolide studies; the result favoured antibiotics over placebo (MD 23.42 L/min, 95% CI 5.23 to 41.60). One study in children reported the maximum peak flow recorded during the follow-up period, favouring the clarithromycin group, but the confidence interval includes no difference (MD 38.80, 95% CI -11.19 to 88.79).Grading of outcomes ranged from moderate to very low quality, with quality of outcomes downgraded for suspicion of publication bias, indirectness, imprecision, and poor methodological quality of studies.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
We found limited evidence that antibiotics given at the time of an asthma exacerbation may improve symptoms and PEFR at follow-up compared with standard care or placebo. However, findings were inconsistent across the six heterogeneous studies included, two of the studies were conducted over 30 years ago and most of the participants included in this review were recruited from emergency departments, limiting the applicability of findings to this population. Therefore we have limited confidence in the results. We found insufficient evidence about several patient-important outcomes (e.g. hospital admission) to form conclusions. We were unable to rule out a difference between groups in terms of all adverse events, but serious adverse events were rare.
Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Age Factors; Amoxicillin; Ampicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Asthma; Child; Disease Progression; Humans; Length of Stay; Macrolides; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 29938789
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002741.pub2