Evidence map›Paper›PMID 17947744›Full record

ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2007

Protective effect of antibiotics against serious complications of common respiratory tract infections: retrospective cohort study with the UK General Practice Research Database.

I Petersen, A M Johnson, A Islam, G Duckworth, D M Livermore, A C Hayward

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 123 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
123citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
11.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

123 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 305 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Corticosteroids as standalone or add-on treatment for sore throat.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020
    Pooled it
  4. Antibiotics for acute bronchitis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017
    Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Acute otitis media in children.BMJ clinical evidence · 2014
    Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Antibiotic effectiveness for children with lower respiratory infections: prospective cohort and trial in primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023
    Trial
  12. Trial
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  17. Probiotic capsules and xylitol chewing gum to manage symptoms of pharyngitis: a randomized controlled factorial trial.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2017
    Trial
  18. Trial
  19. Trial
  20. Trial

63 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

I PetersenUCL Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University College London, London NW3 2PQ.
A M Johnson
A Islam
G Duckworth
D M Livermore
A C Hayward
University College London · GBHealth Protection Agency · MV

Funding

Medical Research Council G0601726
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine the extent to which antibiotics reduce the risk of serious complications after common respiratory tract infections.

designRetrospective cohort study.

settingUK primary care practices contributing to the general practice research database. DATA SOURCE: 3.36 million episodes of respiratory tract infection.

main outcome measuresRisk of serious complications in treated and untreated patients in the month after diagnosis: mastoiditis after otitis media, quinsy after sore throat, and pneumonia after upper respiratory tract infection and chest infection. Number of patients needed to treat to prevent one complication.

resultsSerious complications were rare after upper respiratory tract infections, sore throat, and otitis media, and the number needed to treat was over 4000. The risk of pneumonia after chest infection was high, particularly in elderly people, and was substantially reduced by antibiotic use, with a number needed to treat of 39 for those aged > or =65 and 96-119 in younger age groups.

conclusionAntibiotics are not justified to reduce the risk of serious complications for upper respiratory tract infection, sore throat, or otitis media. Antibiotics substantially reduce the risk of pneumonia after chest infection, particularly in elderly people in whom the risk is highest.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAnti-Bacterial AgentsChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesFamily PracticeHumansInfantMiddle AgedOtitis MediaPharyngitisPrognosisRespiratory Tract InfectionsRetrospective StudiesAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

PMID17947744
PMCPMC2072032
OpenAlexW2049529849

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.