Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38294118›Full record

Observational studyClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2024

Treatment Outcome of Severe Respiratory Type B Tularemia Using Fluoroquinolones.

Micael Widerström, Sara Mörtberg, Mattias Magnusson, Peter Fjällström, Anders F Johansson

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational StudyCase Reports
In one paragraph

Observational study in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 10% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Tularemia Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis: CDC Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response - United States, 2025.MMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports · 2025
    Guideline
  2. Article
  3. A case of levofloxacin injection-induced lower limb edema.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Animal modelling with theMicrobiology (Reading, England) · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Non-vaccinal prophylaxis of tularemia.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024
    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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Micael WiderströmDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Sara MörtbergDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Östersund Hospital, Östersund, Sweden.
Mattias MagnussonDepartment of Radiology, Östersund Hospital, Östersund, Sweden.
Peter FjällströmDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Anders F JohanssonDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0548-5943
Umeå University · SEÖstersunds Hospital · SE

Funding

Region Jämtland-Härjedalen and Region VästerbottenResearch and Development Unit
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFluoroquinolones lack approval for treatment of tularemia but have been used extensively for milder illness. Here, we evaluated fluoroquinolones for severe illness.

methodsIn an observational study, we identified case-patients with respiratory tularemia from July to November 2010 in Jämtland County, Sweden. We defined severe tularemia by hospitalization for >24 hours and severe bacteremic tularemia by Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica growth in blood or pleural fluid. Clinical data and drug dosing were retrieved from electronic medical records. Chest images were reexamined. We used Kaplan-Meier curves to evaluate time to defervescence and hospital discharge.

resultsAmong 67 case-patients (median age, 66 years; 81% males) 30-day mortality was 1.5% (1 of 67). Among 33 hospitalized persons (median age, 71 years; 82% males), 23 had nonbacteremic and 10 had bacteremic severe tularemia. Subpleural round consolidations, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and unilateral pleural fluid were common on chest computed tomography. Among 29 hospitalized persons with complete outcome data, ciprofloxacin/levofloxacin (n = 12), ciprofloxacin/levofloxacin combinations with doxycycline and/or gentamicin (n = 11), or doxycycline as the single drug (n = 6) was used for treatment. One disease relapse occurred with doxycycline treatment. Treatment responses were rapid, with median fever duration 41.0 hours in nonbacteremic and 115.0 hours in bacteremic tularemia. Increased age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index predicted severe bacteremic tularemia (odds ratio, 2.7 per score-point; 95% confidence interval, 1.35-5.41). A 78-year-old male with comorbidities and delayed ciprofloxacin/gentamicin treatment died.

conclusionsFluoroquinolone treatment is effective for severe tularemia. Subpleural round consolidations and mediastinal lymphadenopathy were typical findings on computed tomography among case-patients in this study.

Indexed as

BacteremiaFrancisellaFrancisella tularensisLymphadenopathyTularemiaAgedCiprofloxacinDoxycyclineFemaleFluoroquinolonesGentamicinsHumansLevofloxacinMaleTreatment OutcomeCiprofloxacinDoxycyclineFluoroquinolonesGentamicinsLevofloxacincomputed tomographyfluoroquinolone/therapeutic usetreatment outcometularemia/drug therapyX ray

Identifiers

PMID38294118
PMCPMC10828930
OpenAlexW4391377535

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.