Does erythromycin help in chronic cough?

January 01, 0001

Does erythromycin help in chronic cough?

Unexplained chronic cough is a common condition seen in primary care. These UK researchers examined whether long-term low-dose erythromycin reduces symptoms in patients with unexplained chronic cough. Thirty patients with an unexplained chronic cough were randomly assigned to 250 mg erythromycin (n=15) or placebo (n=15) for 12 weeks in a double-blind parallel group study. Cough characteristics, including frequency, cough reflex sensitivity and cough severity were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 weeks.

The researchers found: "There was no difference in the change in cough frequency between the erythromycin and placebo groups at 12 weeks (mean difference in fold change 1.1) or at other times. There was a statistically significant between-treatment difference in the change in sputum neutrophils at 12 weeks (-10.2% vs +6.6% with erythromycin and placebo, mean difference 16.8%) but not at other times. There was no difference in the change in other measures of cough between treatments."

The researchers concluded: "Treatment with low-dose erythromycin for 12 weeks reduces the induced sputum neutrophil count but not cough frequency or severity in patients with unexplained chronic cough."

This small, if well designed, trial found treatment for chronic cough with erythromycin does not effect symptoms

For the full abstract, click here.

Thorax 65(12):1107-1110, December 2010
© 2010 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Thoracic Society
Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. Nadia Yousaf, William Monteiro, Debbie Parker, Sergio Matos, Surinder Birring, Ian D Pavord. Correspondence to Ian D Pavord: [email protected]

Category: R. Respiratory. Keywords: erythromycin, chronic cough, neutrophil count, cough frequency, cough severity, double blind randomized control trial, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 10 December 2010

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.