A total of 8 studies were included.
Six studies (700 patients) were included in the analysis of productive cough at follow-up.
Five studies (515 patients) were included in the analysis of clinical improvement at follow-up.
Six studies (597 patients) were included in the analysis of side-effects.
Antibiotics were found to be no better than placebo when cough resolution at days 7 to 11 was assessed (RR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.00).
Antibiotics did not significantly improve cough resolution at days 7 to 11 (RR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.36, 1.09).
The mean percentage of patients reporting side-effects in 7 trials was 19% (range: 12 to 30%). When one trial, which showed more side-effects from placebo than antibiotic, was excluded the heterogeneity was reduced and the side-effects were significantly associated with antibiotics (RR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.19, 3.02).