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document
Antibiotic therapy of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis . A controlled study using tetracycline . We conducted a double-blind , randomized , placebo-controlled trial in 40 patients to evaluate the need for antibiotics in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis . All patients were sufficiently ill to require hospitalization although none needed ventilatory support ; the presence of pneumonia was excluded . Treatment consisted of bronchodilators , corticosteroids , and either tetracycline , 500 mg , or placebo by mouth every 6 hours for 1 week . Arterial blood gases , spirometric tests , bacteriologic evaluation of sputum , and patient and physician evaluation of the severity of illness were assessed at the beginning and end of the study . All patients improved both symptomatically and by objective measures of lung function . At the end of the study period there were no differences between those patients receiving tetracycline and those receiving placebo . We conclude that antibiotic therapy is not needed in moderately ill patients with exacerbations of chronic bronchitis .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
tetracycline
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Intervention_Control
placebo-controlled
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Intervention_Pharmacological
bronchodilators
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Intervention_Pharmacological
corticosteroids
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Intervention_Pharmacological
tetracycline
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Outcome_Physical
Arterial blood gases
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Outcome_Other
spirometric tests
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Outcome_Physical
bacteriologic evaluation of sputum
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Outcome_Other
patient and physician evaluation of the
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Outcome_Physical
severity of illness
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Participant_Condition
40 patients to evaluate the need for antibiotics in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis .