Summary of published clinical trials of azithromycin (modified from Hilliard and Balfour-Lynn25 with permission from the authors)
| Centre (reference) | Trial design | Azithromycin dose | n | Length of treatment period (mth) | FEV1 (drug v placebo) | Other clinical outcomes | Inflammatory markers | Adverse effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Two centres16 | Parallel | 250 mg daily | 60 adults | 3 | Mean relative difference +3.6% | ↓ intravenous antibiotics ↑ quality of life | ↓ CRP | Nil |
| UK Single centre17 | Crossover | 250 or 500 mg daily | 41 children >8 y | 6 | Median relative difference +5.4% | ↓ oral antibiotics | No difference sputum IL-8, neutrophil elastase | Nil |
| USA Multicentre19 | Parallel | 250 or 500 mg 3/week | 185 children >6 y and adults | 6 | Mean relative difference +6.2% | ↓ nonquinolone antibiotics ↓ exacerbation ↑ weight | Modest ↓ sputum elastase, no difference IL-8 | Nausea, diarrhoea, wheezing |