Trial reportChest2016
The Effects of Azithromycin in Treatment-Resistant Cough: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Trial report in Chest, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 6 of them syntheses 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
22 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Objective and Subjective Measurement of Cough in Asthma: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Lung · 2022Pooled it
- Curbing the Cough: Multimodal Treatments for Neurogenic Cough: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The Laryngoscope · 2022Pooled it
- Macrolides versus placebo for chronic asthma.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Adverse events in people taking macrolide antibiotics versus placebo for any indication.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- An update and systematic review on drug therapies for the treatment of refractory chronic cough.Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · 2018Pooled it
- Prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of guideline-based therapy for chronic cough and refractory chronic cough: PROCOUGH.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Cough-hypersensitivity Syndrome-A New Paradigm in the Evaluation of Chronic Refractory Cough and Its Novel Therapeutic Horizons-A Review.Journal of community hospital internal medicine perspectives · 2024Review
- Cough in chronic lung disease: a state of the art review.Journal of thoracic disease · 2023Review
- Efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy for refractory or unexplained chronic cough: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2023Article
- Sputum-Rheology-Based Strategy for Guiding Azithromycin Prescription in COPD Patients with Frequent Exacerbations: A Randomized, Controlled Study ("COPD CARhE").Biomedicines · 2023Article
- Review
- Cough hypersensitivity and chronic cough.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2022Review
- Impact of chest computed tomography scan on the management of patients with chronic cough.ERJ open research · 2021Article
- Management of chronic refractory cough in adults.European journal of internal medicine · 2020Review
- Azithromycin for sarcoidosis cough: an open-label exploratory clinical trial.ERJ open research · 2020Article
- Azithromycin Prescribing by Respiratory Pediatricians in Australia and New Zealand for Chronic Wet Cough: A Questionnaire-Based Survey.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2020Article
- ERS guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in adults and children.The European respiratory journal · 2020Article
- Bronchiectasis and cough: An old relationship in need of renewed attention.Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2019Review
- Psychometric properties of the German version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire in sarcoidosis.PloS one · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundChronic cough is a common clinical problem worldwide. Although many patients have underlying precipitating conditions such as asthma, gastroesophageal reflux, or rhinitis, many remain symptomatic despite treating these conditions. New approaches are needed for the treatment of this group of patients.
methodsWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether 250 g of azithromycin three times a week for 8 weeks would affect the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) score in 44 patients with treatment-resistant cough. Cough severity on a visual analog scale and bronchial exhaled nitric oxide were measured as secondary outcomes.
resultsThere was a clinically important improvement in LCQ score with azithromycin (mean change, 2.4; 95% CI, 0.5 to 4.2) but not placebo (mean change, 0.7; 95% CI, -0.6 to 1.9), but the between-group difference was not statistically significant (P = .12). There were no significant between-group differences for any of the secondary outcome measures. Looking at subgroups of responders, there was a large and significant improvement in LCQ score in patients with chronic cough and a concurrent diagnosis of asthma who were treated with azithromycin (mean, 6.19; 95% CI, 4.06 to 8.32).
conclusionsTreatment with low-dose azithromycin for 8 weeks did not significantly improve LCQ score compared with placebo. The use of macrolides for treatment-resistant cough cannot be recommended from this study, but they may have a place in the treatment of chronic cough associated with asthma; this is worthy of further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRY: WHO International Clinical Trials Registry; No.: ISRCTN75749391. URL: http://apps.who.int.
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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.