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Use of azithromycin for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo controlled trial
Author(s) -
Ballard Hubert O.,
Shook Lori A.,
Bernard Philip,
Anstead Michael I.,
Kuhn Robert,
Whitehead Vicki,
Grider Deb,
Crawford Timothy N.,
Hayes Don
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.21352
Subject(s) - azithromycin , medicine , odds ratio , placebo , incidence (geometry) , bronchopulmonary dysplasia , ureaplasma , randomized controlled trial , pregnancy , gestational age , mycoplasma , antibiotics , pathology , physics , alternative medicine , genetics , optics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Objective Since preventive therapies for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are limited we treated preterm infants with azithromycin to decrease the incidence of BPD. Methods Infants less than 1,250 g birth weight were randomized to azithromycin or placebo within 12 hr of beginning mechanical ventilation and within 72 hr of birth. The treatment group received azithromycin 10 mg/kg/day for 7 days followed by 5 mg/kg/day for a maximum of 6 weeks. Aspirates were collected during the study to assay for Ureaplasma. The primary endpoints were incidence of BPD or mortality. (Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT00319956.) Results A total of 220 infants were enrolled (n = 111 azithromycin, and 109 placebo). Mortality was 18% for the azithromycin group versus 22% for the placebo group ( P = 0.45). Incidence of BPD was 76% for the azithromycin group versus 84% for the placebo group ( P = 0.2). The multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated an odds ratio of 0.46 decrease in the chance of developing BPD or death for the azithromycin group, but was not statistically significant. The incidence of BPD in the Ureaplasma subgroup was 73% in the azithromycin group versus 94% in the placebo group ( P = 0.03). Analysis of patients in the Ureaplasma subgroup only, using the exact logistic model demonstrated a decrease in BPD or death in the azithromycin group with an estimated odds ratio of 0.026 (0.001–0.618, 95% confidence interval). Conclusions Routine use of azithromycin therapy for the prevention of BPD cannot be recommended. The early treatment of Ureaplasma colonized/infected patients might be beneficial, but a larger multi‐centered trial is required to assess this more definitively. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2011; 46:111–118. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.