Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
Randomised or quasi-randomised studies
Participants
Patients with initial acquisition of BCC infections; people with chronic BCC infection
Interventions
antibiotics used alone or in combination, using any method of delivery and any treatment duration, to eradicate Burkholderia cepacia complex infections compared to another antibiotic, placebo or no treatment
Outcome measures
eradication after initial acquisition or prevention or delay onset of chronic infection; lung function, nutritional status, clinical scores and mortality; microbiological outcomes; adverse effects; cost-effectiveness
Main results
No studies looking at the eradication of Burkholderia cepacia complex species were identified.
Authors' conclusions
The authors have concluded that there was an extreme lack of evidence in this area of treatment management for people with cystic fibrosis. Without further comprehensive studies, it is difficult to draw conclusions about a safe and effective management strategy for Burkholderia cepacia complex eradication in cystic fibrosis. Thus, while the review could not offer clinicians evidence of an effective eradication protocol for Burkholderia cepacia complex, it has highlighted an urgent need for exploration and research in this area, specifically the need for wellâdesigned multiâcentre randomised controlled studies of a variety of (novel) antibiotic agents.