Table 1

Randomized trials of shorter- versus longer-duration antibiotic therapy in bacteremia or syndromes commonly causing bacteremia.

Author

Syndrome

Number screened (number randomly assigned)

Population

Antibiotic

Short arm, days

Long arm, days

Day of random assignment

Random assignment/Concealment

Blinding/Placebo

Patients with bacteremia

Chowdhary et al. [26]

Bacteremia

229 (69)

Hospitalized neonates

Culture-directed

7

14

7

Computer-generated/Yes

Yes/No

Included

Basoli et al. [27]

Peritonitis

111 (90)

Secondary peritonitis

Ertapenem

3

5-14

3

Unclear/Unclear

Yes/Yes

Unclear

Runyon et al. [28]

Peritonitis

140 (100)

Hospitalized adults; SBP

Cefotaxime

5

10

1

Unclear/No

No/No

Included

Chaudhry et al. [29]

Peritonitis

60 (50)

Hospitalized adults; SBP

Cefoperazone

5

10

1

Unclear/No

No/No

Included

Hepburn et al. [49]

SSTI

169 (87)

Outpatient adults

Levofloxacin

5

10

5

Computer-generated/Yes

Yes/Yes

Excluded

De Gier et al. [43]

Pyelonephritis

N/A (54)

Hospitalized adults; complicated UTI

Fleroxacin

7

14

1

Unclear/Unclear

Unclear/No

Unclear

Stamm et al. [44]

Pyelonephritis

98 (60)

Outpatient adult women

Ampicillin or TMP/SMX

14

42

1

Random number table/No

No/No

Unclear

Gleckman et al. [45]

Pyelonephritis

N/A (54)

Hospitalized adult women

Gentamicin/tobramycin; ampicillin, TMP/SMX, cephalexin

10

21

1

Random number table/No

No/No

Unclear

Pylkkanen et al. [46]

Pyelonephritis

271 (149)

Infants and children

Sulfafurazole

10

42

1

Unclear/No

No/No

Unclear

Jernelius et al. [47]

Pyelonephritis

N/A (77)

Outpatient and hospitalized adults

Pivampicillin and pivmecillinam

7

21

1

Computer-generated/Yes

Yes/Yes

Included

Cheng et al. [48]

Pyelonephritis

N/A (80)

Hospitalized children

Acc. to culture

14

21

1

Serial entry/Unclear

Unclear/No

Included

Engle et al. [30]

Pneumonia

51 (26)

Hospitalized neonates

Ampicillin and gentamicin

2

4

2

Unclear/Unclear

Unclear/No

Included

Engle et al. [31]

Pneumonia

212 (73)

Hospitalized neonates

Ampicillin and gentamicin

4

7

2

Unclear/Yes

Unclear/No

Included

ISCAP [33]

Pneumonia

N/A (2,188)

Outpatient children 2 to 59 months

Amoxicillin

3

5

1

Unclear/Yes

Yes/Yes

Unclear

MASCOT [34]

Pneumonia

N/A (2,000)

Outpatient children 2 to 59 months

Amoxicillin

3

5

1

Computer-generated/Yes

Yes/Yes

Unclear

Vuori-Holopainen et al. [32]

Pneumonia

178 (72)

Hospitalized children 3 months to 15 years

Penicillin or cefuroxime

4

7

1

Computer-generated/No

No/No

Included

Tellier et al. [36]

Pneumonia

581 (575)

Outpatient and hospitalized adults

Telithromycin

5

7

1

Unclear/Yes

Yes/Yes

Included

File et al. [35]

Pneumonia

N/A (512)

Outpatient adults

Gemifloxacin

5

7

1

Unclear/Unclear

Yes/Unclear

Included

Dunbar et al. [37]

Pneumonia

2,521 (530)

Outpatient and hospitalized adults

Levofloxacin

5

10

1

Unclear/Yes

Yes/Yes

Included

Leophonte et al. [39]

Pneumonia

N/A (244)

Hospitalized adults

Ceftriaxone

5

10

1

Unclear/Yes

Yes/Yes

Included

Siegel et al. [38]

Pneumonia

N/A (52)

Hospitalized adults

Cefuroxime

7

10

1

Computer-generated/Yes

Yes/Yes

Included

El Moussaoui et al. [40]

Pneumonia

186 (121)

Hospitalized adults

Amoxicillin

3

8

3

Unclear/Yes

Yes/Yes

Included

Chastre et al. [42]

Pneumonia

1,171 (402)

Hospitalized adults

Culture-directed

8

15

3

Computer-generated/Yes

Yes/No

Included

Fekih Hassen et al. [41]

Pneumonia

39 (30)

Hospitalized adults

Culture-directed

7

10

2

Random number table/No

No/No

Unclear

ISCAP, IndiaClen Short Course Amoxicillin Pneumonia; MASCOT, Multicentre Amoxicillin Short Course Therapy; N/A, not applicable; SBP, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; SSTI, skin and soft tissue infection; TMP/SMX, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole; UTI, urinary tract infection.

Havey et al. Critical Care 2011 15:R267   doi:10.1186/cc10545