Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34596881›Full record

ArticleInfectious diseases and therapy2021

The Effect of Combination Therapy on Mortality and Adverse Events in Patients with Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Chao Ye, Chunjiang Wang, Zuojun Li, Xin Li, Juan Pan, Liang Liu, Zhaohui Wang

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

Article in Infectious diseases and therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Antibiotic synergy againstAntimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Rifampin Based Therapy for Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2024
    Pooled it
  4. Review
  5. Management of Infective Endocarditis: A Scoping Review.Journal of Brown hospital medicine · 2026
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Resistance mechanisms and therapeutic strategies forTherapeutic advances in infectious disease
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Chao Ye *Department of Pharmacy, The Third Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Chunjiang Wang *Department of Pharmacy, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Zuojun LiDepartment of Pharmacy, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Xin LiDepartment of Pharmacy, The Third Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Juan PanDepartment of Pharmacy, Liuyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Liang LiuNeurosurgery, People's Hospital of Ningxiang City Affiliated to Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Zhaohui WangDepartment of Pharmacy, People's Hospital of Ningxiang City Affiliated to Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. wangzhaohuiry@163.com.
Third Hospital of Changsha · CNCentral South University · CNHunan University · CNHunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNThird Xiangya Hospital · CN

Funding

Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation 2021JJ80083
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, and meta-analyses vary regarding the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy for patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB). We aimed to identify the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy in patients with SAB compared with those of monotherapy.

methodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare combination therapy versus monotherapy in patients with SAB. Two authors independently searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library of clinical trials until 17 February 2021. Any RCT comparing mortality or adverse events (AEs) of combination therapy versus monotherapy for patients with SAB was eligible. Summary risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated using a random-effects model. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at any time point. This meta-analysis is registered with the PROSPERO database (CRD42020188176) and reported according to PRISMA guidelines.

resultsIn total, 1906 articles were identified and screened, and 14 studies (2367 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. There was no significant difference in the risk of all-cause mortality between the two groups (RR = 1.00; 95% CI 0.83-1.20; P = 0.99; I

conclusionsThe meta-analysis suggested that combination therapy could not reduce mortality but might increase the risk of drug-related AEs and nephrotoxicity and should be applied very cautiously. Future studies on combined drug therapy for SAB need careful and rigorous design for specific antibiotic combinations.

Indexed as

BacteraemiaCombination therapyMeta-analysisMortalityStaphylococcus aureus

Identifiers

PMID34596881
PMCPMC8572899
OpenAlexW3202950890

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.