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Research

Comparing the quantity and quality of randomised placebo-controlled trials of antibiotics for acute respiratory, urinary, and skin and soft tissue infections: a scoping review

Mina Bakhit, Tammy Hoffmann, Miriam Santer, Matthew Ridd, Nick Francis, Eva Hummers, Justin Clark, Carmen Hilliges and Chris Del Mar
BJGP Open 2020; 4 (4): bjgpopen20X101082. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20X101082
Mina Bakhit
1 Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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  • ORCID record for Mina Bakhit
  • For correspondence: mbakhit@bond.edu.au
Tammy Hoffmann
1 Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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Miriam Santer
2 Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Matthew Ridd
3 Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Nick Francis
2 Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Eva Hummers
4 Department of General Practice, Göttingen University Medical Centre, Göttingen, Germany
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Justin Clark
1 Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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Carmen Hilliges
4 Department of General Practice, Göttingen University Medical Centre, Göttingen, Germany
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Chris Del Mar
1 Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
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Abstract

Background The management of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), urinary tract infections (UTIs), and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) should be guided by high quality evidence.

Aim To compare the quantity and quality of randomised placebo-controlled trials of antibiotics for ARIs, UTIs, and SSTIs.

Design & setting A scoping review of the literature was performed using comprehensive search strategies.

Method PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched for published studies from inception until 17 April 2019. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared participants in primary care or in the community who had uncomplicated acute ARI, UTI, or studies, and were randomised to antibiotic or placebo (or no active treatment), were eligible for inclusion. Two groups of researchers independently screened articles for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies.

Results A total of 108 eligible studies were identified: 80 on ARI, eight on UTI, and 20 on SSTI. The quality of studies varied with unclear risk of bias (RoB) prevalent in many domains. There was a gradual improvement in the quality of trials investigating ARIs over time, which could not be assessed in SSTI and UTI studies.

Conclusion This review highlights a sparsity of trials assessing the effectiveness of antibiotics in people with UTIs and SSTIs, compared to trials targeting ARIs. This gap in the evidence needs to be addressed by conducting further high quality trials on the effects of antibiotics in patients with UTI and SSTI.

  • anti-bacterial agent
  • primary health care
  • respiratory tract infections
  • urinary tract infections
  • skin and soft tissues infections
  • randomised controlled trials
  • Received February 12, 2020.
  • Accepted March 9, 2020.
  • Copyright © 2020, The Authors

This article is Open Access: CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Comparing the quantity and quality of randomised placebo-controlled trials of antibiotics for acute respiratory, urinary, and skin and soft tissue infections: a scoping review
Mina Bakhit, Tammy Hoffmann, Miriam Santer, Matthew Ridd, Nick Francis, Eva Hummers, Justin Clark, Carmen Hilliges, Chris Del Mar
BJGP Open 2020; 4 (4): bjgpopen20X101082. DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20X101082

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Comparing the quantity and quality of randomised placebo-controlled trials of antibiotics for acute respiratory, urinary, and skin and soft tissue infections: a scoping review
Mina Bakhit, Tammy Hoffmann, Miriam Santer, Matthew Ridd, Nick Francis, Eva Hummers, Justin Clark, Carmen Hilliges, Chris Del Mar
BJGP Open 2020; 4 (4): bjgpopen20X101082. DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20X101082
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Keywords

  • anti-bacterial agent
  • primary health care
  • respiratory tract infections
  • urinary tract infections
  • skin and soft tissues infections
  • randomised controlled trials

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