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Antibiotics for treating scrub typhusPanpanich R, Garner P
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SummarySynopsis pending
This is a Cochrane review abstract and plain language summary, prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration, currently published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008 Issue 3, Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.. The full text of the review is available in The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X).
This version first published online:
April 24. 2000 AbstractBackgroundScrub typhus is a bacterial disease in regions of Asia and the Pacific. Antibiotics (chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and doxycycline) have been used to treat the disease. Resistance to these antibiotics has been reported. ObjectivesTo evaluate antibiotic regimens for treating scrub typhus. Search strategyWe searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group specialized trials register (August 2004); CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2004); MEDLINE (1966 to August 2004); EMBASE (1988 to August 2004); LILACS (August 2004). We checked references and contacted authors for additional data. Selection criteriaRandomized and quasi-randomized studies comparing antibiotic regimens in people diagnosed with scrub typhus. Data collection and analysisOne reviewer screened the search results; both reviewers assessed eligibility, quality and extracted data. We used Review Manager (Version 4.1), and expressed results as Relative Risk (binary) or weighted mean difference (continuous), with 95% confidence intervals. Main resultsFour trials involving 451 adults met the inclusion criteria. One small study did not demonstrate a difference between tetracycline with chloramphenicol (participants afebrile after 48 hours, Relative Risk 1.00; 95% confidence interval 0.07 to 15.26). Two small trials did not show a difference between doxycycline and tetracycline (participants afebrile after 48 hours, Relative Risk 0.46; 95% confidence interval 0.12 to 1.75). One trial showed rifampicin to be more effective than doxycycline (for eliminating fever, Relative Risk 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.22 to 0.77; no relapses in either group). Authors' conclusionsLimited data has not demonstrated a difference between tetracycline and doxycycline. Limited data suggest rifampicin is effective in areas where scrub typhus appears to respond poorly to standard anti-rickettsial drugs. . |