Table 4

Adjusted ORs versus clarithromycin for 14-day and 37-day all-cause mortality and CV and arrhythmia events, by first-line antibiotic monotherapy and by indication

14-day OR (95% CI)37-day OR (95% CI)
CV eventsAll-cause mortalityArrhythmia eventsCV eventsAll-cause mortalityArrhythmia events
Lower respiratory tract infection
 All antibiotics combined0.93 (0.71 to 1.21)0.83 (0.72 to 0.95)1.01 (0.80 to 1.27)1.00 (0.82 to 1.22)0.85 (0.77 to 0.94)0.88 (0.76 to 1.01)
 Amoxicillin0.86 (0.66 to 1.13)0.75 (0.65 to 0.86)1.01 (0.80 to 1.28)0.95 (0.78 to 1.16)0.76 (0.69 to 0.84)0.85 (0.73 to 0.98)
 Erythromycin0.98 (0.71 to 1.37)0.82 (0.69 to 0.99)0.87 (0.64 to 1.18)0.98 (0.76 to 1.26)0.77 (0.68 to 0.89)0.81 (0.67 to 0.97)
 Co-amoxiclav1.17 (0.80 to 1.62)1.28 (1.07 to 1.53)0.98 (0.70 to 1.36)1.13 (0.87 to 1.48)1.32 (1.17 to 1.51)1.05 (0.86 to 1.29)
 Cefalexin1.60 (1.26 to 2.27)1.28 (1.06 to 1.55)0.96 (0.66 to 1.38)1.42 (1.08 to 1.86)1.26 (1.10 to 1.45)0.84 (0.66 to 1.06)
 Doxycycline0.96 (0.60 to 1.54)0.46 (0.33 to 0.64)0.99 (0.67 to 1.47)0.92 (0.64 to 1.32)0.58 (0.47 to 0.72)0.95 (0.74 to 1.22)
 Oxytetracycline0.80 (0.46 to 1.39)0.29 (0.17 to 0.47)0.76 (0.44 to 1.31)1.09 (0.75 to 1.59)0.42 (0.31 to 0.56)0.68 (0.48 to 0.95)
 Other*1.00 (0.71 to 1.39)1.16 (0.98 to 1.37)1.15 (0.85 to 1.55)1.09 (0.85 to 1.40)1.32 (1.17 to 1.48)1.15 (0.96 to 1.38)
Upper respiratory tract infection
 All antibiotics combined0.99 (0.53 to 1.86)1.21 (0.50 to 2.98)1.39 (0.80 to 2.41)0.82 (0.54 to 1.25)1.06 (0.65 to 1.74)0.94 (0.69 to 1.27)
 Amoxicillin0.94 (0.50 to 1.80)0.95 (0.35 to 2.63)1.44 (0.81 to 2.57)0.79 (0.51 to 1.20)1.09 (0.67 to 1.80)0.95 (0.69 to 1.29)
 Penicillin-V1.03 (0.51 to 2.08)1.19 (0.38 to 3.71)0.85 (0.45 to 1.61)0.76 (0.47 to 1.23)0.75 (0.41 to 1.34)0.70 (0.50 to 0.99)
 Doxycycline1.07 (0.53 to 2.18)0.67 (0.20 to 2.33)1.43 (0.76 to 2.67)1.00 (0.62 to 1.60)0.84 (0.46 to 1.52)1.01 (0.72 to 1.42)
 Erythromycin0.85 (0.41 to 1.79)1.16 (0.37 to 3.65)1.42 (0.76 to 2.68)0.67 (0.40 to 1.11)0.98 (0.55 to 1.76)1.04 (0.74 to 1.47)
 Co-amoxiclav1.19 (0.53 to 2.18)0.88 (0.22 to 3.57)1.68 (0.83 to 3.38)1.17 (0.68 to 2.01)1. 43 (0.76 to 2.67)1.22 (0.83 to 1.81)
 Cefalexin0.96 (0.41 to 2.24)0.57 (0.27 to 2.57)1.73 (0.86 to 3.45)0.84 (0.48 to 1.50)1.10 (0.59 to 2.05)1.05 (0.70 to 1.57)
 Other†1.21 (0.58 to 2.49)1.17 (0.37 to 3.70)1.13 (0.57 to 2.22)0.95 (0.58 to 1.56)1.35 (0.78 to 2.35)0.79 (0.54 to 1.15)
Lower and upper respiratory tract infections combined
 All antibiotics combined0.90 (0.71 to 1.15)0.78 (0.68 to 0.89)1.01 (0.82 to 1.3)0.93 (0.78 to 1.11)0.80 (0.73 to 0.89)0.86 (0.76 to 0.98)
 Amoxicillin0.86 (0.67 to 1.10)0.72 (0.63 to 0.83)1.05 (0.84 to 1.30)0.90 (0.75 to 1.08)0.74 (0.67 to 0.82)0.85 (0.75 to 0.98)
 Erythromycin0.92 (0.68 to 1.24)0.78 (0.65 to 0.96)0.93 (0.72 to 1.22)0.88 (0.71 to 1.01)0.73 (0.65 to 0.84)0.84 (0.72 to 0.99)
 Penicillin-V0.79 (0.53 to 1.16)0.25 (0.16 to 0.40)0.60 (0.42 to 0.75)0.71 (0.53 to 0.95)0.29 (0.21 to 0.39)0.57 (0.47 to 0.71)
 Doxycycline0.86 (0.61 to 1.23)0.34 (0.26 to 0.46)0.95 (0.70 to 1.27)0.90 (0.70 to 1.17)0.45 (0.37 to 0.54)0.86 (0.72 to 1.03)
 Co-amoxiclav1.13 (0.82 to 1.57)1.26 (1.06 to 1.50)1.07 (0.79 to 1.44)1.13 (0.89 to 1.44)1.32 (1.16 to 1.49)1.08 (0.90 to 1.29)
 Cefalexin1.41 (1.02 to 1.95)1.18 (0.98 to 1.42)1.06 (0.78 to 1.45)1.25 (0.98 to 1.59)1.17 (1.02 to 1.33)0.87 (0.71 to 1.06)
 Oxytetracycline0.88 (0.55 to 1.40)0.26 (0.17 to 0.42)0.76 (0.48 to 1.21)1.00 (0.72 to 1.38)0.37 (0.28 to 0.50)0.63 (0.47 to 0.84)
 Other‡1.01 (0.75 to 1.38)1.15 (0.97 to 1.35)1.08 (0.82 to 0.42)1.07 (0.86 to 1.34)1.28 (1.14 to 1.44)1.07 (0.90 to 1.26)
  • *Forty-six antibiotics (10 most frequently used: penicillin-V, flucloxacillin, cefradine, azithromycin, tetracycline, ampicillin, cefadroxil, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, nitrofurantoin).

  • †Thirty-one antibiotics (10 most frequently used: ciprofloxacin, flucloxacillin, tetracycline, cefradine, cefadroxil, azithromycin, metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin, co-fluampicil).

  • ‡Forty-nine antibiotics (10 most frequently used: trimethroprim, cefaclor, ciprofloxacin, flucloxacillin, cefradine, tetracycline, azithromycin, ampicillin, cefadroxil, nitrofurantoin, metronidazole).

  • CV, cardiovascular.