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Comparing Several Treatments with Antibiotics for Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Bai F, Li X

Iranian journal of public health, 2021

17,076 participants · 7 citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We aimed to review relevant randomized controlled trials to assess the relative clinical effects of antibiotic treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

METHODS: In this meta-analysis, we identified relevant studies from PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase using appropriate keywords. Key pertinent sources in the literature were also reviewed and all articles published through Oct 2019 were considered for inclusion. For each study, we assessed the risk ratios (RRs) or mean difference combined with the 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess and synthesize outcomes.

RESULTS: Overall, 36 studies were consistent with the meta-analysis, involving 17,076 patients. There was no significant difference in the mortality after subgroup analysis: individualized treatment vs. standard treatment; β-lactams plus macrolides vs. β-lactam and/or fluoroquinolone; ceftaroline fosamil vs. ceftriaxone; combination therapy vs. monotherapy or high-dose vs. low-dose. The drug-related adverse event incidence was significantly higher in the ceftriaxone group than in the other drug groups (P<0.05) and also higher in the tigecyline group than in the levofloxacin group (P<0.05). Compared with ceftriaxone, ceftaroline fosamil significantly increased the clinical cure rate at the test-of-cure (TOC) visit in the clinically evaluable population, modified intent-to-treat efficacy (MITTE) population, microbiologically evaluable (ME) population and the microbiological MITTE (mMITTE)…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 17,076 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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