International Journal of COPD (Sep 2022)
Effect of Macrolide Antibiotics on In-Hospital Mortality Among Acute Exacerbation of COPD Patients: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis
Abstract
Thotsaporn Morasert,1 Orakarn Kriengwattanakul,2 Prapasri Kulalert3 1Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Suratthani Hospital, Surat Thani, 84000, Thailand; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Suratthani Hospital, Surat Thani, 84000, Thailand; 3Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, ThailandCorrespondence: Thotsaporn Morasert, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Suratthani Hospital, Surat Thani, 84000, Thailand, Tel +66 88 753 2006 ; +66 77 915 600, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to assess whether the short-term use of macrolide antibiotics during hospitalization can reduce in-hospital all-cause mortality compared to non-macrolide treatment in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).Methods: A propensity score (PS) matching analysis was performed using retrospective data from the admission records of AECOPD patients in the medical general ward and medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care center between October 2015 and September 2018. The multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was performed to eliminate residual confounding after the PS analysis.Results: The mortality rate was 11.1% of 1528 admissions in the PS matching cohort. Approximately 70% of patients had respiratory failure requiring intubation on initial admission, and 34% had pneumonia. Macrolide treatment significantly reduced in-hospital mortality among AECOPD patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval 0.32– 0.96; P=0.034). Clarithromycin was the most commonly prescribed macrolide (80%).Conclusion: Macrolide antibiotics reduced in-hospital mortality in hospitalized AECOPD patients. The combination of antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects of macrolide treatment could play an essential role.Keywords: macrolides, AECOPD, mortality, propensity score-matched