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Antibiotic adjuvant therapy for pulmonary infection in cystic fibrosis

Hurley MN, Forrester DL, Smyth AR

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2013

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis is a multi-system disease characterised by the production of thick secretions causing recurrent pulmonary infection, often with unusual bacteria. This leads to lung destruction and eventually death through respiratory failure. There are no antibiotics in development that exert a new mode of action and many of the current antibiotics are ineffective in eradicating the bacteria once chronic infection is established. Antibiotic adjuvants - therapies that act by rendering the organism more susceptible to attack by antibiotics or the host immune system, by rendering it less virulent or killing it by other means, are urgently needed.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if antibiotic adjuvants improve clinical and microbiological outcome of pulmonary infection in people with cystic fibrosis.

SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cystic Fibrosis Trials Register which is compiled from database searches, hand searches of appropriate journals and conference proceedings.Date of most recent search: 26 July 2012.We also searched MEDLINE (all years) on 23 February 2013 and ongoing trials registers on 13 February 2013.

SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials of a therapy exerting an antibiotic adjuvant mechanism of action compared to placebo or no therapy for people with cystic fibrosis.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The authors independently assessed and extracted data from identified studies.

MAIN RESULTS: We identified eighteen…

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