Azithromycin for Preschoolers with Wheezing in the Emergency Department.

What was studied

This trial tested an antibiotic in young kids with wheezing at an emergency department. The kids were 18 to 59 months old. Their wheezing was moderate to severe. By chance, each child got either azithromycin or a dummy drug. They took it once a day for 5 days. The team added up scores from a symptom diary over those 5 days. Kids with and without certain nose and throat germs were studied as separate groups.

What they found

In all, 840 kids took part, and 521 had the germs. The trial was stopped early after a planned check showed no gain. Symptom scores were about the same with azithromycin and the dummy drug. This was true in kids with the germs and in kids without them. In kids with the germs, the drug cleared them more often. Time in the hospital and return visits within 72 hours looked alike. Germ resistance and side effects also looked alike in both groups.

What it means for patients

The authors say azithromycin did not ease wheezing symptoms more than a dummy drug. This was in young kids seen in the emergency department. The result was the same whether or not the kids had the germs. In this trial, the drug cleared germs but did not help symptoms.

Why it is not certain yet

The trial was stopped early, at a planned check. Germ clearing and resistance were only checked 1 to 3 weeks later. The abstract does not give full numbers for hospital stay or side effects. The trial only looked at kids aged 18 to 59 months. All of them had moderate to severe wheezing.

Source

Azithromycin for Preschoolers with Wheezing in the Emergency Department.

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