{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7124312349","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","title":"Efficacy of Azithromycin in Preventing Pulmonary Exacerbations Among Patients With Bronchiectasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","display_name":"Efficacy of Azithromycin in Preventing Pulmonary Exacerbations Among Patients With Bronchiectasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-14","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7124312349","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41694940"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.7759/cureus.101574","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","pdf_url":"https://www.cureus.com/articles/452149-efficacy-of-azithromycin-in-preventing-pulmonary-exacerbations-among-patients-with-bronchiectasis-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2738950867","display_name":"Cureus","issn_l":"2168-8184","issn":["2168-8184"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","poland-20","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310316779","host_organization_name":"Cureus, Inc.","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310316779"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Cureus, Inc."],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cureus","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"review","indexed_in":["crossref","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"diamond","oa_url":"https://www.cureus.com/articles/452149-efficacy-of-azithromycin-in-preventing-pulmonary-exacerbations-among-patients-with-bronchiectasis-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis.pdf","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123107823","display_name":"Renzxymon L Dela Cruz","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210116402","display_name":"St. Luke's Medical Center","ror":"https://ror.org/02h4kdd20","country_code":"PH","type":"healthcare","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}],"countries":["PH"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Renzxymon L Dela Cruz","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123131535","display_name":"Francis Adrian D Que","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210116402","display_name":"St. Luke's Medical Center","ror":"https://ror.org/02h4kdd20","country_code":"PH","type":"healthcare","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}],"countries":["PH"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Francis Adrian D Que","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123060639","display_name":"Louise Nicole C Bacud","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210116402","display_name":"St. Luke's Medical Center","ror":"https://ror.org/02h4kdd20","country_code":"PH","type":"healthcare","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}],"countries":["PH"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Louise Nicole C Bacud","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123063329","display_name":"Minette Claire O Rosario","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210116402","display_name":"St. Luke's Medical Center","ror":"https://ror.org/02h4kdd20","country_code":"PH","type":"healthcare","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}],"countries":["PH"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Minette Claire O Rosario","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Luke's Medical Center, Quezon City, PHL","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210116402"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":4.6125,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":2,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.91481723,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":96,"max":97},"biblio":{"volume":"18","issue":"1","first_page":"e101574","last_page":"e101574"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10665","display_name":"Cystic Fibrosis Research Advances","score":0.9990000128746033,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2740","display_name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10665","display_name":"Cystic Fibrosis Research Advances","score":0.9990000128746033,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2740","display_name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10143","display_name":"Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research","score":0.0003000000142492354,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2740","display_name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11316","display_name":"Mycobacterium research and diagnosis","score":9.999999747378752e-05,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2713","display_name":"Epidemiology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/azithromycin","display_name":"azithromycin","score":0.9380000233650208},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/bronchiectasis","display_name":"bronchiectasis","score":0.9800000190734863},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/pulmonary-exacerbations","display_name":"pulmonary exacerbations","score":0.9929999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/long-term-antibiotic-therapy","display_name":"long-term antibiotic therapy","score":0.9120000004768372},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/pediatric-bronchiectasis","display_name":"pediatric bronchiectasis","score":0.7689999938011169},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/fev1","display_name":"FEV1","score":0.7599999904632568},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/st-george-s-respiratory-questionnaire","display_name":"St George's Respiratory Questionnaire","score":0.9750000238418579},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/adverse-events","display_name":"adverse events","score":0.699999988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/anti-inflammatory-activity","display_name":"anti-inflammatory activity","score":0.7419999837875366}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71924100","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11190","display_name":"Medicine","level":0,"score":0.9833999872207642},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778907293","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165399","display_name":"Azithromycin","level":3,"score":0.9325000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C27081682","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q269829","display_name":"Placebo","level":3,"score":0.5914999842643738},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C197934379","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2047938","display_name":"Adverse effect","level":2,"score":0.5471000075340271},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126322002","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11180","display_name":"Internal medicine","level":1,"score":0.5461000204086304},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779379686","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q32778","display_name":"Bronchiectasis","level":3,"score":0.541700005531311},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C168563851","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1436668","display_name":"Randomized controlled trial","level":2,"score":0.49390000104904175},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187960798","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7631152","display_name":"Subgroup analysis","level":3,"score":0.43320000171661377},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61511704","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1671857","display_name":"Incidence (geometry)","level":2,"score":0.4214000105857849},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177713679","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q679690","display_name":"Intensive care medicine","level":1,"score":0.4106000065803528},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95190672","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q815382","display_name":"Meta-analysis","level":2,"score":0.39160001277923584},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C534529494","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7891","display_name":"Respiratory system","level":2,"score":0.3785000145435333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C501593827","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12187","display_name":"Antibiotics","level":2,"score":0.3630000054836273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776478404","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1105187","display_name":"Cochrane Library","level":3,"score":0.3384000062942505},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2993183539","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q754447","display_name":"Respiratory infection","level":3,"score":0.33079999685287476},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776012195","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q754447","display_name":"Respiratory tract infections","level":3,"score":0.30709999799728394},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189708586","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1504425","display_name":"Systematic review","level":3,"score":0.29440000653266907},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779473830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1540899","display_name":"MEDLINE","level":2,"score":0.2935999929904938},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C82789193","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2142611","display_name":"Relative risk","level":3,"score":0.288100004196167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C535046627","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30612","display_name":"Clinical trial","level":2,"score":0.2824999988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105922876","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1423981","display_name":"Airway","level":2,"score":0.2655999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C67774102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q614132","display_name":"Number needed to treat","level":4,"score":0.26089999079704285}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":4,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.7759/cureus.101574","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","pdf_url":"https://www.cureus.com/articles/452149-efficacy-of-azithromycin-in-preventing-pulmonary-exacerbations-among-patients-with-bronchiectasis-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2738950867","display_name":"Cureus","issn_l":"2168-8184","issn":["2168-8184"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","poland-20","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310316779","host_organization_name":"Cureus, Inc.","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310316779"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Cureus, Inc."],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cureus","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:41694940","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41694940","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cureus","raw_type":"Journal Article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:europepmc.org:11712230","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/12905554","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400806","display_name":"Europe PMC (PubMed Central)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1303153112","host_organization_name":"European Bioinformatics Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1303153112"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Text"},{"id":"pmh:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:12905554","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12905554/","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2764455111","display_name":"PubMed Central","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"Cureus","raw_type":"Text"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.7759/cureus.101574","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101574","pdf_url":"https://www.cureus.com/articles/452149-efficacy-of-azithromycin-in-preventing-pulmonary-exacerbations-among-patients-with-bronchiectasis-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2738950867","display_name":"Cureus","issn_l":"2168-8184","issn":["2168-8184"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","poland-20","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310316779","host_organization_name":"Cureus, Inc.","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310316779"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Cureus, Inc."],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cureus","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"Good health and well-being","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/3","score":1.0}],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[{"display_name":"Good health and well-being","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/3","score":0.7861607670783997}],"study_designs":[{"display_name":"Systematic Review","id":"https://openalex.org/study-designs/systematic-review"},{"display_name":"Meta-Analysis","id":"https://openalex.org/study-designs/meta-analysis"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":true,"grobid_xml":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7124312349.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7124312349.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":12,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1538908262","https://openalex.org/W1583999228","https://openalex.org/W1984402322","https://openalex.org/W2108506420","https://openalex.org/W2156772274","https://openalex.org/W2169216429","https://openalex.org/W2630626800","https://openalex.org/W2896918716","https://openalex.org/W4225669833","https://openalex.org/W4282042808","https://openalex.org/W4293658897","https://openalex.org/W4304588617"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Bronchiectasis":[0],"is":[1,212],"a":[2,9,61,113,213],"debilitating":[3],"chronic":[4],"respiratory":[5,237],"condition":[6],"characterized":[7],"by":[8],"vicious":[10],"cycle":[11],"of":[12,65,70,106,119,188,233],"infection,":[13],"inflammation,":[14],"and":[15,35,68,82,139,215,224,226],"airway":[16],"destruction,":[17],"leading":[18],"to":[19,47,59,110,124,193,202],"frequent":[20,236],"pulmonary":[21,75,107],"exacerbations.":[22,76],"While":[23,156],"long-term":[24,71,99],"macrolide":[25],"therapy,":[26],"particularly":[27],"azithromycin,":[28],"has":[29],"been":[30],"proposed":[31],"for":[32,147,218],"its":[33],"antibiotic":[34],"anti-inflammatory":[36],"effects,":[37],"previous":[38],"systematic":[39],"reviews":[40],"have":[41],"reported":[42],"inconsistent":[43],"findings":[44,208],"or":[45,176],"failed":[46],"include":[48],"the":[49,66,83,104,186,231],"most":[50],"recent":[51],"randomized":[52],"controlled":[53],"trials":[54],"(RCTs).":[55],"This":[56],"study":[57],"aimed":[58],"provide":[60],"comprehensive,":[62],"updated":[63],"meta-analysis":[64],"efficacy":[67],"safety":[69],"azithromycin":[72,100,211],"in":[73,134,164,168,221,230],"reducing":[74],"We":[77],"systematically":[78],"searched":[79],"PubMed,":[80],"ClinicalTrials.gov,":[81],"Cochrane":[84],"Library":[85],"through":[86],"December":[87],"2025,":[88],"identifying":[89],"six":[90],"RCTs":[91],"involving":[92],"562":[93],"patients.":[94],"The":[95],"analysis":[96,130],"revealed":[97],"that":[98,210],"prophylaxis":[101],"significantly":[102],"reduced":[103],"rate":[105],"exacerbations":[108,220],"compared":[109],"placebo,":[111],"with":[112,235],"pooled":[114],"standardized":[115],"mean":[116],"difference":[117],"(SMD)":[118],"-0.63":[120],"(95%":[121],"CI,":[122,200],"-0.90":[123],"-0.35;":[125],"p":[126,204],"<":[127],"0.00001).":[128],"Subgroup":[129],"demonstrated":[131],"consistent":[132],"benefits":[133],"both":[135,222],"adult":[136],"(SMD":[137,141],"-1.03)":[138],"pediatric":[140],"-1.52)":[142],"populations":[143],"(p":[144,173,183],"=":[145,154,174,184,205],"0.10":[146],"subgroup":[148],"difference),":[149],"despite":[150],"moderate":[151],"heterogeneity":[152],"(I\u00b2":[153],"58%).":[155],"treatment":[157],"did":[158],"not":[159],"yield":[160],"statistically":[161],"significant":[162],"improvements":[163],"forced":[165],"expiratory":[166],"volume":[167],"1":[169],"second":[170],"(FEV1)":[171],"predicted":[172],"0.08)":[175],"St.":[177],"George's":[178],"Respiratory":[179],"Questionnaire":[180],"(SGRQ)":[181],"scores":[182],"0.81),":[185],"incidence":[187],"adverse":[189],"events":[190],"was":[191],"comparable":[192],"placebo":[194],"(relative":[195],"risk":[196],"(RR)":[197],"1.24;":[198],"95%":[199],"0.95":[201],"1.61;":[203],"0.11).":[206],"These":[207],"indicate":[209],"safe":[214],"effective":[216],"intervention":[217],"preventing":[219],"children":[223],"adults":[225],"should":[227],"be":[228],"considered":[229],"management":[232],"patients":[234],"events.":[238]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":2}],"updated_date":"2026-10-14T16:39:01.820549","created_date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00"}