University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications
Title
Treatment trials for post-Lyme disease symptoms revisited
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Medicine
Publication Date
2013-8
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Anti-Bacterial Agents; *Borrelia burgdorferi; Chronic Disease; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Lyme Disease; Treatment Outcome
Disciplines
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses
Abstract
The authors of 4 National Institutes of Health-sponsored antibiotic treatment trials of patients with persistent unexplained symptoms despite previous antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease determined that retreatment provides little if any benefit and carries significant risk. Two groups recently provided an independent reassessment of these trials and concluded that prolonged courses of antibiotics are likely to be helpful. We have carefully considered the points raised by these groups, along with our own critical review of the treatment trials. On the basis of this analysis, the conclusion that there is a meaningful clinical benefit to be gained from retreatment of such patients with parenteral antibiotic therapy cannot be justified.
Keywords
Borrelia burgdorferi, Clinical trials, Lyme disease, Post-Lyme disease syndrome
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.02.014
Source
Am J Med. 2013 Aug;126(8):665-9. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.02.014. Link to article on publisher's site
Related Resources
Journal/Book/Conference Title
The American journal of medicine
PubMed ID
23764268
Repository Citation
Klempner, Mark S.; Baker, Phillip J.; Shapiro, Eugene D.; Marques, Adriana; Dattwyler, Raymond J.; Halperin, John J.; and Wormser, Gary P., "Treatment trials for post-Lyme disease symptoms revisited" (2013). University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications. 382.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/faculty_pubs/382