Cochrane · systematic review · CD002741
Antibiotics for exacerbations of asthma
Normansell, R, Sayer, B, Waterson, S, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2018 · Cochrane Library
AirwaysAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
8
current version
GRADE rated
5
No studies
3
Included studies
NR
No studies 3 · 37.5%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 1 · 12.5%Low 2 · 25%Moderate 2 · 25%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Antibiotics compared to placebo or usual care for exacerbations of asthma
Population: acute asthma exacerbation
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
ICU/HDU admission ‐ not reported Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Symptom score at 10 days. Measured on a 7‐point scale (0 to 6) ; lower score denotes fewer symptoms Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 2 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency, indirectness |
All adverse events Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | OR 0.99 [0.69, 1.43] | 3 studies · 506 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency, indirectness |
Serious adverse events Duration 3 days to 3 weeks Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | RD 0 | 3 studies · 502 participants | Low Downgraded: indirectness |
Mortality ‐ not reported Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Length of hospital stay, days Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 43 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency, indirectness |
Relapse after index presentation ‐ not reported Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
PEFR (GIV) Duration 10 days Antibiotics vs placebo or usual care | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 469 participants | Moderate Downgraded: indirectness |