Table 1 Characteristics of included trials
From: Antibiotics for the primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever: a meta-analysis
Study ID | Randomisation and concealment of treatment allocation | Participants | Intervention | Effect size | % Randomised included in analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bennike, 1951 | Quasi-randomised; Inadequate concealment of treatment | 349 admitted to hospital with ordinary acute tonsillitis, plegmonous tonsillitis or ulcerative tonsillitis | 1. Penicillin: IM, 300,000 units/day for 6 days (adults) 2. Control – symptomatic treatment | Not Estimable | 88% |
Brink, 1951 | Quasi-randomised; No concealment of treatment | 475 males, aged 17–21, admitted to U.S. military hospital with respiratory symptoms or fever with exudate on tonsils or pharyngeal mucosa | 1. Procaine penicillin G: IM 300,000 units/day for 4 days 2. Aureomycin: avg. 2 g/day orally for 4 days 3. Control – no treatment | RR = 0.29 [0.06,1.46] | Unknown |
Brock, 1953 | Randomised; No concealment of treatment | 349 males admitted to U.S. military hospital with exudative pharyngitis and laboratory-confirmed GAS infection | 1. Procaine penicillin G: IM 600,000 units/day for 3 days 2. Control: IM saline placebo, day 1 and day 5 | RR = 0.11 [0.00,2.71] | Unknown |
Brumfitt, 1957 | Quasi-randomised; No concealment of treatment | 121 males, aged 18–21, admitted to U.S. military hospital with sore throat, pyrexia and no clinical evidence of more generalized disease of which sore throat may have been coincident feature | 1. Combination of procaine penicillin G: IM 600,000 units/day for 4 days and crystalline penicillin: IM 200,000 units/day for 4 days 2. Control – symptomatic treatment | Not estimable | Unknown |
Chamovitz, 1954 | Quasi-randomised; Unknown whether treatment allocation concealed | 241 males admitted to U.S. military hospital with exudative tonsillitis or pharyngitis | 1. DBED penicillin: IM 1,200,000 units 2. Control – IM placebo | RR = 0.17 [0.01,3.41] | Unknown |
Denny, 1950 | Quasi-randomised; No concealment of treatment | 1602 males admitted to U.S. military hospital with respiratory symptoms and observed exudate on the tonsils or pharyngeal wall | 1. Penicillin G: IM 200,000 units/day for 3 days of 300,000 units/day for 4 days 2. Control: symptomatic treatment | RR = 0.12 [0.03,0.50] | 81.8% |
Denny, 1953 | Randomised; Unknown whether treatment allocation concealed | 207 males admitted to U.S. military hospital with suspected streptococcal infection based on presence of exudate on tonsils or pharynx and total leukocyte count exceeding 10,000 | 1. Crystalline procaine penicillin: IM 600,000 units/day for 5 days 2. Crystalline aureomycin: avg. 2 g/day for 5 days 3. Crystalline terramycin: avg. 2 g/day for 5 days 4. Control: oral lactose placebo for 5 days | RR = 0.64 [0.06,6.92] | Unknown |
Houser, 1953 | Quasi-randomised; No concealment of treatment | 2044 males, ages 17–21, admitted to U.S. military hospital with exudative lesions on their tonsils or pharynx | 1. Aureomycin: avg. 2 g/day for avg. 5 days 2. Control: no specific treatment | RR = 0.63 [0.34,1.17] | 88% |
Siegel, 1961 | Quasi-randomised; No concealment of treatment | 1213 children, aged 3–16, with uncomplicated acute upper-respiratory tract disease and laboratory-confirmed GAS infection | 1. Benzathine penicillin G: IM 600,000 units 2. Control: symptomatic treatment | RR = 0.20 [0.01,4.14] | 95% |
Wannamaker, 1951 | Quasi-randomised; No concealment of treatment | 2340 males, aged 17–20, admitted to U.S. military hospital with respiratory symptoms and exudative lesions on the tonsils or oropharynx, or oral temp. > 100°F | 1. Procaine penicillin G: IM various dosages (1,200,000 over 4 days; 600,000 units over 3 days; 600,000 single dose) 2. Control: no specific treatment | RR = 0.21 [0.09,0.47] | 83.3% |