Antibiotic treatment of acute bronchitis in smokers: a systematic review

Community physicians in the United States prescribe antibiotics to 80% to 90% of smokers with acute bronchitis. We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the efficacy of antibiotics for smokers with acute bronchitis.

A medline search was done using the keywords bronchitis, cough, and antibiotics to identify English language articles published from January 1966 to September 2001. Randomized, placebo-controlled trials of antibiotics in previously healthy smokers and nonsmokers with acute bronchitis were included.

For each study, we abstracted information on design, size, inclusion criteria, patient characteristics, and outcomes. Of 2,029 articles in the original search, 109 relevant articles were retrieved and reviewed. There have been no studies specifically addressing antibiotic use in smokers with acute bronchitis. Nine randomized, placebo-controlled trials of antibiotics have included 774 patients and over 276 smokers. Lack of subgroup reporting for smokers precluded meta-analysis. In 7 trials, smoking status did not predict or alter patients' response to antibiotics. In one trial, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resulted in less-frequent cough overall, but not among smokers. In another trial, erythromycin reduced symptom scores only among nonsmokers while antibiotic-treated smokers had a trend toward higher symptom scores.

Although no trials have specifically addressed antibiotic use in smokers with acute bronchitis, existing data suggest that any benefit of antibiotics is the same or less for smokers than for nonsmokers.