Does Clarithromycin Use in Acute Viral Bronchiolitis Shorten Length of Hospital Stay?

Claritromycin use in acute viral bronchiolitis

Abstract

Introduction: Acute bronchiolitis is the most common cause of hospitalization among infants. Although antibiotics are not recommended in the absence of secondary bacterial infection, rates of antibiotic usage is high rate in clinical practices
Objectives: To test the hypothesis that clarithromycin use in infants with acute viral bronchiolitis shortens length of hospital stay.
Materials and Methods: One hundred sixty-seven patients aged 1-24 months hospitalized for treatment with a diagnosis of acute viral bronchiolitis at pediatric clinic between April 2017 and May 2018 were investigated retrospectively. The patients were divided into two separate groups, Group A (122 patients), using clarithromycin therapy during hospitalization, and Group B (45 patients), which did not receive clarithromycin (Group B). Demographic and clinical data, treatments received, and duration of hospital stay were obtained from patients’ records.
Results: The rate of clarithromycin use in this study was 73%. No statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay was determined between patients receiving clarithromycin and those receiving no antibiotic therapy. However, length of hospital stay decreased with age. Clarithromycin use elicited no statistically significant decrease in hospital stay in patients with acute viral bronchiolitis.
Conclusions: The routine use of clarithromycin is not recommended in acute viral bronchiolitis in the light of its cost and side-effects, and the fact is has no impact on clinical status and hospital stay.