The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (lack of blinding).
A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 3 studies, with a total of 190 children with wet cough lasting more than 10 days. The mean ages of children ranged from 21 months to 6 years. The studies compared either erythromycin (1 study) or amoxycillin/clavulanate (2 studies) with placebo for 7 or 14 days.
Treatment with antibiotics reduced the proportion of children not cured at follow-up (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.31; 3 studies, n=190; NNTB 3, 95% CI 2 to 4). Progression of illness, defined by requirement for further antibiotics, was significantly lower in the antibiotic group (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.34; 2 studies, n=125; NNTB 4, 95% CI 3 to 5). Adverse events were not significantly increased in the antibiotic group compared to the control group (OR 1.88, 95% CI 0.62 to 5.69; 3 studies, n=190).
Note: The use of antibiotics has to be balanced against their well known adverse events.
Primary/Secondary Keywords