SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2001
Oral mucolytic drugs for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2001. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 255 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mucolytic agents versus placebo for chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Mucolytic Effectiveness of Tyloxapol in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.PloS one · 2016Trial
- Clinical efficacy of farcosolvin syrup (ambroxol-theophylline-guaiphenesin mixture) in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2010Trial
- Pomegranate juice supplementation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a 5-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2006Trial
- Randomised, controlled trial of N-acetylcysteine for treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [ISRCTN21676344].BMC pulmonary medicine · 2004Trial
- A comparative study of the impact of prescription and non-prescription mucolytic agents on respiratory disease management in a community-based population.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Properties of N-Acetylcysteine: A Fresh Perspective.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Therapeutic Potential of Small Molecules Targeting Oxidative Stress in the Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Comprehensive Review.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Chronic Bronchitis: Where Are We Now?Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Miami, Fla.) · 2019Article
- Mucoactive Agents in the Therapy of Upper Respiratory Airways Infections: Fair to Describe Them Just as Mucoactive?Clinical medicine insights. Ear, nose and throat · 2019Review
- Scientific Papers and Patents on Substances with Unproven Effects. Part 2.Recent patents on drug delivery & formulation · 2019Review
- Precision medicine and aerosolization in mechanically ventilated adults.Journal of thoracic disease · 2018Article
- Effects of Modified Zhisou Powder on Airway Mucus Production in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model Rats with Cold-Dryness Syndrome.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018Article
- N-acetylcysteine in COPD: why, how, and when?Multidisciplinary respiratory medicine · 2015Review
- Antioxidant pharmacological therapies for COPD.Current opinion in pharmacology · 2012Review
- Strategies to decrease ongoing oxidant burden in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Expert review of clinical pharmacology · 2012Review
- Pharmacological antioxidant strategies as therapeutic interventions for COPD.Biochimica et biophysica acta · 2012Review
- Glutathione supplementation attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in a mouse model of acute lung injury.Frontiers in physiology · 2012Article
- Oxidative stress in asthma.The World Allergy Organization journal · 2011Article
- Mucoactive therapy in COPD.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2010Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the effects of oral mucolytics in adults with stable chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
designSystematic review of randomised controlled trials that compared at least two months of regular oral mucolytic drugs with placebo. STUDIES: Twenty three randomised controlled trials in outpatients in Europe and United States.
main outcome measuresExacerbations, days of illness, lung function, adverse events.
resultsCompared with placebo, the number of exacerbations was significantly reduced in subjects taking oral mucolytics (weighted mean difference -0.07 per month, 95% confidence interval -0.08 to -0.05, P<0.0001). Based on the annualised rate of exacerbations in the control subjects of 2.7 a year, this is a 29% reduction. The number needed to treat for one subject to have no exacerbation in the study period would be 6. Days of illness also fell (weighted mean difference -0.56, -0.77 to -0.35, P<0.0001). The number of subjects who had no exacerbations in the study period was greater in the mucolytic group (odds ratio 2.22, 95% confidence interval 1.93 to 2.54, P<0.0001). There was no difference in lung function or in adverse events reported between treatments.
conclusionsIn chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, treatment with mucolytics is associated with a reduction in acute exacerbations and days of illness. As these drugs have to be taken long term, they could be most useful in patients who have repeated, prolonged, or severe exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.