Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41175357›Full record

SynthesisMilitary medicine2026

Association Between Doxycycline Chemoprophylaxis and the Development of Gastrointestinal Conditions in Military Personnel: A Systematic Review.

Matthew Olsen, Kwame Peprah Boaitey, Robin Orr, Stephan James Rudzki, Anna Lohning

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Military medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Matthew OlsenFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4226, Australia.
Kwame Peprah BoaiteyInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4226, Australia.
Robin OrrFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4226, Australia.
Stephan James RudzkiCanberra Sports Medicine, Deakin, A.C.T., 2600, Australia.
Anna LohningFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4226, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3618-1208

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMilitary and other specialist personnel may be exposed to malaria during deployment. Doxycycline is a frequently prescribed malarial chemoprophylaxis, but its use is associated with gastrointestinal adverse effects. The aim was to investigate the association between extended use of doxycycline malarial chemoprophylaxis within a military population and the development of GI conditions.

methodsFollowing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic search of academic databases was undertaken. Dedicated inclusion and exclusion eligibility criteria were applied to ensure only studies meeting the research intent were retained. Remaining studies were assessed for study quality using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) appraisal tools. The study protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework.

resultsEleven studies randomized control field trials (RCTs), n = 3: retrospective quantitative (mainly) survey-based studies n = 8) from seven different countries, meet the eligibility criteria. Reports of adverse GI effects (n = 2322) were recorded representing between 3% and 79% (median 39%) of participants across the studies. RCTs CASP appraisal results were generally higher (high quality) as compared to the survey-based studies (moderate quality). The unique focus of this systematic review enabled scrutinization of the frequency, severity and potential risk to long term health of extended doxycycline use for currently serving and veteran population.

conclusionsWithin the population studied, doxycycline chemoprophylaxis is frequently associated with a range of GI-related adverse effects from mild to severe and chronic conditions which, with extended use, have the potential to impact long-term health and quality of life. Pragmatic recommendations targeted to military and veteran organizations aim to minimize some adverse outcomes. Large-scale, longitudinal studies are needed to more accurately establish the risk profile of extended doxycycline use for malarial prophylaxis.

Indexed as

AntimalarialsChemopreventionDoxycyclineGastrointestinal DiseasesMilitary PersonnelHumansMalariaAntimalarialsDoxycycline

Identifiers

PMID41175357
PMCPMC13331486

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.