CFDB - Cystic Fibrosis DataBase

primary studies published RCT

Randomised trial of pivampicillin plus pivmecillinam vs. pivampicillin in children and young adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and infection with haemophilus influenzae

Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)

Multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Participants

185 participants: adults and children with CF (> 6 years) with chronic P. aeruginosa chest infection (> 1 year) and an FEV1 >30% predicted.

Interventions

Azithromycin, 500 mg (250 mg if weight <40 kg) 3 days a week versus placebo.

Outcome measures

Primary: relative change in FEV1 (% predicted).

Main results

The azithromycin group had a mean 0.097-L (SD, 0.26) increase in FEV1 at day 168 compared with 0.003 L (SD, 0.23) in the placebo group (mean difference, 0.094 L; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.023-0.165; P =.009). Nausea occurred in 17% more participants in the azithromycin group (P =.01), diarrhea in 15% more (P =.009), and wheezing in 13% more (P =.007). Participants in the azithromycin group had less risk of experiencing an exacerbation than participants in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44-0.95; P =.03) and weighed at the end of the study an average 0.7 kg more than participants receiving placebo (95% CI, 0.1-1.4 kg; P =.02).

Authors' conclusions

Azithromycin treatment was associated with improvement in clinically relevant end points and should be considered for patients with CF who are 6 years or older and chronically infected with P aeruginosa.

Keywords: Adolescent; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Azithromycin; Bacterial Infections; Child; Hospitalization; Hospital care; Infection; pharmacological_intervention; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections; Macrolides; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - excl Steroids;