{"id":51,"date":"2026-08-27T13:14:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T13:14:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.rhino-health.org\/aztec-home\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T13:14:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T13:14:43","slug":"aztec-home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rhino-health.org\/?page_id=51","title":{"rendered":"AZTEC Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UK multicentre neonatal trial<\/div>\n

AZTECAzithromycin Therapy for Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity<\/span><\/h1>\n

A UK-wide clinical trial investigating whether azithromycin given soon after birth could improve outcomes for babies born very preterm.<\/p>\n

799 babies recruited<\/span>28 neonatal intensive care units<\/span>Recruitment complete<\/span>Main results published<\/span><\/div>\n
Explore the results \u2192<\/a>About the trial<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Premature<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Why AZTEC?<\/div>\n

Protecting developing lungs after very preterm birth<\/h2>\n

Babies born before 30 weeks\u2019 gestation are at high risk of chronic lung disease of prematurity because lung development is interrupted at a vulnerable stage. Respiratory support, inflammation and microorganisms including Ureaplasma<\/em> may all contribute to lung injury.<\/p>\n

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The clinical problem<\/h3>\n

Despite major advances in neonatal care, chronic lung disease\u2014also called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)\u2014remains a common complication of very preterm birth and can be associated with respiratory morbidity after discharge.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

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The research question<\/h3>\n

AZTEC tested whether early azithromycin, an antibiotic with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, could improve survival without physiologically defined moderate or severe chronic lung disease.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The trial at a glance<\/div>\n

A national randomised controlled trial<\/h2>\n
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Population<\/b>Very preterm infants<\/strong>Babies born before 30 weeks\u2019 gestation.<\/span><\/div>\n
Intervention<\/b>Azithromycin<\/strong>A 10-day course started soon after birth.<\/span><\/div>\n
Comparator<\/b>Placebo<\/strong>Matched placebo in a double-blind design.<\/span><\/div>\n
Primary outcome<\/b>Survival without CLD<\/strong>Physiologically defined moderate\/severe chronic lung disease.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"AZTEC<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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UK collaboration<\/div>\n

799 babies across 28 neonatal intensive care units<\/h2>\n

Recruitment finished in March 2022, above the original target of 796 infants, despite pauses and disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The published AZTEC-FU protocol describes recruitment from 28 tertiary neonatal units and approximately 77 step-down units across the UK, reflecting the scale of the national collaboration.<\/p>\n

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2019<\/b>AZTEC begins<\/strong>Recruitment opens across the UK.<\/span><\/div>\n
2022<\/b>Recruitment complete<\/strong>799 babies recruited.<\/span><\/div>\n
2024<\/b>Main RCT published<\/strong>Results appear in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine<\/em>.<\/span><\/div>\n
2025<\/b>Investigators\u2019 Study Day<\/strong>Clinical, laboratory and follow-up findings presented.<\/span><\/div>\n
2026<\/b>Evidence expands<\/strong>HTA and antimicrobial-resistance outputs continue.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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AZTEC in animation<\/div>\n

Watch the AZTEC results animation<\/h2>\n

A visual explanation of why the trial was undertaken, what treatment was tested and what the main trial found.<\/p>\n

The video does not autoplay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Video blocked until you allow external media<\/strong><\/p>\n

The AZTEC animation is supplied by YouTube and will load only after you allow external media.<\/p>\n