Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
| Amoxicillin–clavulanate group (n=97) | Azithromycin group (n=82) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic | ||
| Age (years) | 6·8 (4·3–10·1) | 6·4 (4·0–9·0) |
| Male | 55 (57%) | 40 (49%) |
| Indigenous ethnicity | 37 (38%) | 33 (40%) |
| Medical history | ||
| History of preterm birth (<37 weeks) | 22/90 (24%) | 21/79 (27%) |
| Breastfeeding (ever in infancy) | 69 (71%) | 61 (74%) |
| Tobacco smoke exposure | 29 (30%) | 26 (32%) |
| Age at diagnosis of bronchiectasis (years) | 4·3 (2·1–7·5) | 3·6 (2·2–6·1) |
| Number of lobes affected | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–4) |
| Non-hospital admission exacerbations in past 12 months (n=173) | 3 (1–5) | 3 (1–5) |
| Hospital admissions in past 2 years for bronchiectasis exacerbations (n=178) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (0–2) |
| Long-term antibiotics (>4 weeks)* | 54 (56%) | 43 (52%) |
| Long-term macrolides | 35 (36%) | 32 (39%) |
| Underlying cause | ||
| Post-infectious | 57 (59%) | 47 (57%) |
| Idiopathic | 19 (20%) | 12 (15%) |
| Immunodeficiency | 5 (5%) | 3 (4%) |
| Aspiration | 8 (8%) | 8 (10%) |
| Primary ciliary dyskinesia | 3 (3%) | 3 (4%) |
| Other | 3 (3%) | 6 (7%) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| Tracheomalacia | 13 (13%) | 6 (7%) |
| Syndromic (eg, trisomy 21) | 4 (4%) | 8 (10%) |
| Asthma | 19 (20%) | 10 (12%) |
| Examination findings | ||
| Weight (kg) | 22·9 (15·8–39·2) | 22·3 (16·6–36·7) |
| Oxygen saturation (n=163) | 98·5 (98–100) | 99 (98–99) |
| Cough score17 (n=177) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (0–2) |
| Digital clubbing (n=178) | 22/96 (23%) | 11/82 (13%) |
| Chest wall deformity | 24 (25%) | 19 (23%) |
| Wheeze | 2 (2%) | 2 (2%) |
| Crackles | 8 (8%) | 2 (2%) |
| FEV1% predicted (n=99) | 88 (77–101) | 85 (79–95) |
| PC-QoL score18 (n=175) | 6·3 (4·6–6·8) | 6·2 (4·5–7·0) |
| Serum biomarkers | ||
| White blood cell count (×109 per L; n=92) | 8·2 (6·8–9·3) | 8·5 (7·1–10·1) |
| CRP (mg/L; n=94) | 2 (2–2) | 2 (2–2) |
Data are median (IQR) or n (%) unless stated otherwise. CRP=C-reactive protein. FEV1%=forced expiratory volume in 1 s percent. PC-QoL=parent cough-specific quality of life.
*
The only other long-term antibiotic used in these children was co-trimoxazole, by 19 in the amoxicillin-clavulanate group and 11 in the azithromycin group.