Antibiotic Reduces Severe Lung Illness in At-Risk Kids

Bacharier's group conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled parallel group trial across 9 academic medical centers, comprising 607 children from 12 to 71 months old with histories of recurrent, severe LRTIs with wheezing requiring systemic corticosteroids or unscheduled clinic or hospital visits. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive azithromycin or placebo at the earliest signs and symptoms prior to development of LRTI. Of these, 443 children (223 azithromycin and 220 placebo) actually experienced at least 1 RTI and were treated. Use of azithromycin reduced the risk that a given RTI would become severe by 3 percentage points (8% with placebo versus 5% with azithromycin), Bacharier and colleagues reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/URItheFlu/54776?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-19&eun=g721819d0r