SynthesisIndian pediatrics2026
Efficacy, Safety, and Long-Term Outcomes of Shorter (≤ 4 Weeks) Versus Longer (> 4 Weeks) Antibiotic Therapy in Pediatric Empyema Thoracis: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Indian pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
contextAlthough antibiotics remain the cornerstone of empyema thoracis management, the optimal duration of therapy in children remains uncertain. Prolonged antibiotic courses are frequently used despite limited evidence supporting their necessity; potentially increasing healthcare costs, medication-related adverse effects, and the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
objectiveTo evaluate the available evidence on the efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes of shorter (≤ 4 weeks) versus longer (> 4 weeks) total antibiotic treatment durations (from initiation to cessation) in children with empyema, with the aim of informing evidence-based guidance. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, OpenGrey, and four major clinical trial registries was conducted. Randomized controlled trials enrolling children (< 18 years) with empyema defined by standard criteria, and comparing different durations of antibiotic therapy were eligible. Outcomes of interest included resolution of disease, relapse, need for additional interventions, re-hospitalization, adverse events, long-term clinical outcomes, and cost. All key steps of the review were undertaken by two reviewers working independently.
resultsThe search yielded 20,353 records. After excluding 5497 duplicate citations, 14,856 unique citations were screened using a three-step process. A total of 18 citations were short-listed for full-text examination. However, there were no randomized controlled trials fulfilling the eligibility criteria. Although several observational studies were identified, these were ineligible for inclusion.
conclusionThe optimal duration of antibiotic therapy for children with empyema thoracis remains uncertain, due to paucity of randomized controlled trials comparing shorter versus longer treatment courses.
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Identifiers
42446859What OpenQuestion holds
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.