{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T00:32:29Z","timestamp":1782261149855,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"European Respiratory Society (ERS)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,3]],"date-time":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1622678400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100009708","name":"Novo Nordisk Fonden","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["NNF20SA0062834"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NNF20SA0062834"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100009708","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["publications.ersnet.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Eur Respir J"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,22]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Combining the antibiotic azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine induces airway immunomodulatory effects, with the latter also having<jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>antiviral properties. This may improve outcomes in patients hospitalised for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Placebo-controlled double-blind randomised multicentre trial. Patients aged \u226518\u2005years, admitted to hospital for \u226448\u2005h (not intensive care) with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcription PCR test were recruited. The intervention was 500\u2005mg daily azithromycin for 3\u2005days followed by 250\u2005mg daily azithromycin for 12\u2005days combined with 200\u2005mg twice-daily hydroxychloroquine for all 15\u2005days. The control group received placebo\/placebo. The primary outcome was days alive and discharged from hospital within 14\u2005days (DAOH14).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>After randomisation of 117 patients, at the first planned interim analysis, the data and safety monitoring board recommended stopping enrolment due to futility, based on pre-specified criteria. Consequently, the trial was terminated on 1 February 2021. 61 patients received the combined intervention and 56 patients received placebo. In the intervention group, patients had a median (interquartile range) 9.0 (3\u201311) DAOH14<jats:italic>versus<\/jats:italic>9.0 (7\u201310) DAOH14 in the placebo group (p=0.90). The primary safety outcome, death from all causes on day 30, occurred for one patient in the intervention group<jats:italic>versus<\/jats:italic>two patients receiving placebo (p=0.52), and readmittance or death within 30\u2005days occurred for nine patients in the intervention group<jats:italic>versus<\/jats:italic>six patients receiving placebo (p=0.57).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>The combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine did not improve survival or length of hospitalisation in patients with COVID-19.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1183\/13993003.00752-2021","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,3]],"date-time":"2021-06-03T14:47:55Z","timestamp":1622731675000},"page":"2100752","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1183\/ers-crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":36,"title":["Azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine in hospitalised patients with confirmed COVID-19: a randomised 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