Antibiotics for asthma attacks: Masking uncertainty
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
European Respiratory Journal
Volume
58
Issue
1
Publisher
European Respiratory Society
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Abstract
The role for antibiotics in acute asthma has been historically overestimated [1]. From a mechanistic point of view, multiplex PCR testing and conventional microbiological techniques show that > 50–80% of events are associated with viral infections, and less than 20% associated with evidence of bacterial infection, with the remaining proportion presumed to be due to allergies and irritants [2]. Consequently, antibiotics are not expected to work in the context of most asthma attacks and their routine use is not recommended. This stance is supported by a Cochrane review, which found inconsistent data to support antimicrobial use [3] and a good quality retrospective cohort study, which associated the combination of antibiotics and oral corticosteroids (OCS) with a longer hospital length of stay, higher hospital cost, and similar risk of treatment failure compared to matched patients treated only with OCS alone [4].
DOI
10.1183/13993003.00183-2021
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Ramakrishnan, S., & Couillard, S. (2021). Antibiotics for asthma attacks: Masking uncertainty. European Respiratory Journal, 58, article 2100183. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00183-2021