Early Administration of Azithromycin and Prevention of Severe Lower Respiratory Tract Illnesses in Preschool Children With a History of Such Illnesses

Top Cited Papers
Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Acute episodes of severe lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) are common among preschoolers, and up to 14% to 26% of preschoolers present with recurrent wheezing during the first 6 years of life.1,2 These severe episodes are often associated with substantial morbidity, resulting in unscheduled visits to physician offices, urgent care, and emergency departments. Many of these young children are diagnosed with asthma, and among them, 20.9% seek emergency department care and 6.5% are hospitalized each year.3 Thus, identification of novel treatment approaches that attenuate the severity of these recurrent episodes would provide substantial benefit to preschool children with recurrent severe LRTI.