Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Antibiotics for trachoma.

D Mabey1, N Fraser-Hurt

  • 1South Wing Eye Department, St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, London, UK, SE1 7EH. Denise.Mabey@mabeys.demon.co.uk

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|March 1, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Leveraging routine data in impact evaluation: Understanding data systems in primary healthcare prior to a matched cluster-randomised evaluation of adherence guidelines in South Africa.

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde·2022
Same author

Cross-sectional study of Ebola virus disease preparedness among National Health Service hospital trusts in England.

The Journal of hospital infection·2015
Same author

Field performance of a rapid point-of-care diagnostic test for antenatal syphilis screening in the Amazon region, Brazil.

International journal of STD & AIDS·2011
Same author

Point-of-care tests for diagnosing infections in the developing world.

Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases·2010
Same author

The burden and determinants of HIV and sexually transmitted infections in a population-based sample of female sex workers in Goa, India.

Sexually transmitted infections·2008
Same author

Spousal sexual violence and poverty are risk factors for sexually transmitted infections in women: a longitudinal study of women in Goa, India.

Sexually transmitted infections·2007
Same journal

Mechanical thromboprophylaxis for preventing intradialytic hypotension in people undergoing maintenance haemodialysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Prognostic models for predicting intensive care unit admission or mortality in critically ill adults not yet been admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Views and experiences of weight management for people living with mobility‑limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities or severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Biologic drugs for induction and maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease: a network meta-analysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Preconception and first-trimester metformin for improving pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
See all related articles

Antibiotics show some potential in reducing active trachoma and Chlamydia trachomatis infection, but results are inconsistent. Oral and topical antibiotic treatments appear to have similar effectiveness in trachoma control.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Trachoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness globally.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes the 'SAFE' strategy for trachoma control, including antibiotics.
  • This review focuses on the evidence for the antibiotic component of the SAFE strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating active trachoma.
  • To assess the impact of antibiotics on conjunctival Chlamydia trachomatis infection.
  • To compare oral versus topical antibiotic administration for trachoma.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of 15 randomized controlled trials involving 8678 participants.
  • Searched Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Included trials comparing antibiotics (topical or oral) to placebo/no treatment, or oral vs. topical antibiotics.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant statistical and clinical heterogeneity observed among trials.
    • Antibiotics (oral/topical) showed a suggestive, but not conclusive, reduction in active trachoma and C. trachomatis infection at 3 and 12 months.
    • Oral antibiotic treatment demonstrated similar effectiveness to topical antibiotic treatment.

    Conclusions:

    • Evidence suggests antibiotics may reduce active trachoma, but findings are inconsistent and cannot be pooled.
    • Further research is needed to clarify the role and optimal use of antibiotics in trachoma control.
    • Current evidence does not definitively establish superiority of oral over topical antibiotic administration.