Optimizing short-term antibiotic treatment in patients with acute cholangitis: study protocol for an open-label randomized controlled trial (the BOLT-P3 trial).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Acute cholangitis (AC) frequently presents as a community-acquired infection and is associated with a high prevalence of antibiotic use among infectious diseases. The Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) recommend 4-7 days of antibiotic administration after biliary drainage. However, this recommendation lacks strong evidence of its effectiveness and is primarily based on heterogeneous clinical findings and expert opinions. Recent retrospective studies have advocated a shorter 1- to 3-day antibiotic course as effective for AC treatment, prompting the need to reassess the treatment duration to achieve therapeutic efficacy while minimizing resistance and adverse effects.

Methods

We designed a multicenter, non-blinded, randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of short-course

SUBMITTER: Masuda S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12400583 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature