Duration of amoxicillin-clavulanate for protracted bacterial bronchitis in children (DACS): a multi-centre, double blind, randomised controlled trial

Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is a leading cause of chronic wet cough in children. The current standard treatment in European and American guidelines is 2 weeks of antibiotics, but the optimal duration of therapy is unknown. We describe the first randomised controlled trial to assess the duration of antibiotic treatment in children with chronic wet cough and suspected PBB.

Citation:
Ruffles TJC, Goyal V, Marchant JM, Masters IB, Schultz A… et al. Duration of amoxicillin-clavulanate for protracted bacterial bronchitis in children (DACS): a multi-centre, double blind, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2021;9(10):1121-9.

Keywords:
Wet cough; randomised controlled trial; antibiotic use

Abstract:
Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is a leading cause of chronic wet cough in children. The current standard treatment in European and American guidelines is 2 weeks of antibiotics, but the optimal duration of therapy is unknown. We describe the first randomised controlled trial to assess the duration of antibiotic treatment in children with chronic wet cough and suspected PBB.