Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40795809›Full record

SynthesisNeonatology2026

Azithromycin for Prevention of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Other Neonatal Adverse Outcomes in Preterm Infants: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Meghna Joseph, Mrinal Murali Krishna, Vanessa Karlinski Vizentin, Henrique Provinciatto, Chidubem Ezenna

Erratum issuedAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neonatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Meghna JosephDepartment of Medicine, Medical College Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, India.
Mrinal Murali KrishnaDepartment of Medicine, Medical College Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, India.
Vanessa Karlinski VizentinDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Henrique ProvinciattoDepartament of Medicine, Barão de Mauá University Center, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Chidubem EzennaDepartment of Medicine, University of Massachusetts - Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, cezenna349@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

<p>Introduction: Azithromycin, with its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, has been explored as a potential option for preventing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.

objectiveWe performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing azithromycin with placebo for the prevention of BPD in preterm infants.

methodsPubMed, Scopus, <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://ClinicalTrials.gov" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ClinicalTrials.gov</ext-link>, and Cochrane Central databases were searched for studies comparing azithromycin versus placebo in preterm infants. Outcomes of interest included the composite of BPD and death, BPD, death, grade 2 or higher necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), grade 3 or 4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), retinopathy of prematurity (RoP), duration of mechanical ventilation, and postnatal corticosteroid requirement. Random-effects model was used to generate risk ratio (RR), mean difference (MD), and 95% confidence interval (CI) (CRD42024558752).

resultsThe meta-analysis included 6 RCTs including 1,360 infants (azithromycin n = 680, 50%). The composite of BPD or death (RR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.83-1.10; p = 0.53; I2 = 50.2%), BPD (RR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.83-1.15; p = 0.77; I2 = 38.1%), death (RR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.66-1.19; p = 0.41; I2 = 0%), NEC (RR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.69-1.26; p = 0.67; I2 = 0%), IVH (RR: 1.22; 95% CI: 0.89-1.68; p = 0.22; I2 = 3.5%), RoP (RR: 1.35; 95% CI: 0.43-4.28; p = 0.61; I2 = 76.3%), duration of mechanical ventilation (MD: 0.13; 95% CI: -1.35 to 1.60; p = 0.87; I2 = 0%), and postnatal corticosteroid requirement (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.64-1.08; p = 0.18; I2 = 34.5%) were similar between the groups.

conclusionIn preterm infants, azithromycin did not significantly change the risk of adverse clinical outcomes compared with placebo. </p>.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsAzithromycinBronchopulmonary DysplasiaCerebral Intraventricular HemorrhageEnterocolitis, NecrotizingHumansInfant, NewbornInfant, PrematureRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRespiration, ArtificialRetinopathy of PrematurityTreatment OutcomeAnti-Bacterial AgentsAzithromycinAzithromycinBronchopulmonary dysplasiaPreterm infants

Identifiers

PMID40795809
PMCPMC12903889

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.