Real-world effectiveness of antibiotics in addition to oral corticosteroids for managing asthma exacerbations in adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Antibiotics are widely used to manage acute asthma exacerbations, despite little evidence for their effectiveness. This study assesses the added value of antibiotics alongside oral corticosteroids (OCSs) in treating asthma exacerbations.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included individuals from the Netherlands between 1994 and 2022 from the IADB.nl pharmacy dispensing database. Individuals had to be 16-45 years old, use inhaled asthma medication and have a first recorded prednisone/prednisolone (OCS) dispense of ≥30 mg/day for 3-14 days. Patients were compared regarding treatment failure (a new dispense of OCS or antibiotics, 15-30 days after initial dispense), based on whether or not they were dispensed antibiotics (AB) alongside their first recorded OCS

SUBMITTER: Mommers I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12542710 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature