No significant difference in EBV viral load suppression was observed when ganciclovir was compared with ganciclovir and IG in high-risk EBV D+/R- patients.
Adults with mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia were treated with azithromycin (500 mg once daily for 3 days) or clarithromycin (250 mg twice daily for 10 days) and clinically assessed between days 3 and 7 and days 12 and 16. Patients classified as improved at the day 12-16 visit were also evaluated between days 19 and 23. Two hundred three patients were treated (101 with azithromycin, 102 with clarithromycin). A satisfactory clinical response was recorded at the end of therapy in 83 of 88 (94%) evaluable azithromycin-treated and 84 of 88 (95%) evaluable clarithromycin-treated patients (P=0.518). At day 19-23, only one patient in each treatment group had relapsed. Thirty-one of 32 (97%) pathogens isolated from patients in the azithromycin group were eradicated, compared with 32 of 35 (91%) isolated from clarithromycin patients. In all patients with atypical pneumonia, the clinical response was satisfactory at follow-up. Incidences of treatment-related adverse events were similar for the two groups (P=0.815). Two (2%) clarithromycin patients discontinued therapy due to severe treatment-related adverse events; none in the azithromycin group did. This study shows that a 3-day, once-daily course of azithromycin is as clinically effective and well tolerated as a 10-day, twice-daily course of clarithromycin in the treatment of mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia.
This randomized, multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy study assessed the efficacy and safety of 7 or 10 day regimens of grepafloxacin, 600 mg od, compared with amoxycillin, 500 mg tds, in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A total of 264 patients were recruited at 43 centres (127 received grepafloxacin and 137 received amoxycillin), of whom 207 patients (78%) completed the study. Clinical and microbiological efficacy were assessed at the end-of-treatment visit (3-5 days after the last dose) and at the follow-up visit (28-42 days after the last dose). At follow-up, patients in the evaluable population treated with grepafloxacin demonstrated a clinical response rate (76%; 87/114) equivalent to that seen with amoxycillin (74%, 85/111, 95% CI = -12%, 10%) while, in the intent-to-treat population with a documented bacterial pathogen, the clinical success rate in the grepafloxacin group (78%, 29/37) was significantly higher than in the amoxycillin group (58%, 28/48), 95% CI = 2%, 43%). In patients from the evaluable population in whom the pathogens were documented the clinical success rate favoured grepafloxacin, compared with amoxycillin (79%, 26/33 versus 63%, 26/42, respectively; 95% CI = -5.2%, 38.1%). Microbiological eradication with grepafloxacin was statistically superior to amoxycillin in the evaluable population; the success rate was 89% (32/36) in the grepafloxacin group compared with 71% (32/45) for the amoxycillin group (95% CI = 2%, 37%). The pathogens most commonly isolated from patients were Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The success rates for infections caused by S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae at follow-up were higher with grepafloxacin than with amoxycillin. Grepafloxacin was well tolerated, with a safety profile comparable to that of amoxycillin. The therapeutic judgement of patients and investigators at the patient's last visit, as well as the assessment of individual respiratory signs and symptoms, yielded comparable results with both treatments. The results of this study indicate that grepafloxacin, 600 mg od for 7-10 days, is equivalent to or better than amoxycillin, 500 mg tds for 7-10 days in achieving a successful clinical and microbiological response in the treatment of patients with CAP.
Pivmecillinam is a unique beta-lactam antimicrobial that has been used for the treatment of acute uncomplicated urinary infection for > 20 y. Since this agent was introduced, the quinolone antimicrobials have become widely used for the same indication. This study compared the efficacy of a 3-d regimen of pivmecillinam 400 mg b.i.d. with norfloxacin 400 mg b.i.d. Women aged between 18 and 65 y presenting with symptoms of acute cystitis of < 7 d duration were eligible for enrollment; 483 were randomized to receive pivmecillinam and 471 to receive norfloxacin. In each group, 30% of women had negative urine cultures prior to therapy. Bacteriologic cure at early post-therapy follow-up was achieved in 222/298 (75%) pivmecillinam patients and 276/302 (91%) norfloxacin patients [p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval (CI) 12.0-21.8]. Clinical cure/improvement at Day 4 following initiation of therapy was observed in 434/457 (95%) women who received pivmecillinam and 425/442 (96%) who received norfloxacin (p = 0.39; 95% CI 1.5-3.9). Early post-therapy (11 +/- 2 d) clinical cure was achieved in 360/437 women (82%) who received pivmecillinam and 381/433 (88%) who received norfloxacin (p = 0.019; 95% CI 0.9-10.3). In women aged < or = 50 y, early clinical cure rates were 294/351 (84%) for pivmecillinam and 299/340 (88%) for norfloxacin (p = 0.11; 95% CI 1.0-9.4). Adverse effects were similar for both regimens, and there was no evidence of the emergence of organisms of increasing resistance with therapy. Short-course therapy with norfloxacin was superior to that with pivmecillinam in terms of bacteriologic outcome, although differences in clinical outcome were less marked. In conclusion, short-course therapy with pivmecillinam is an effective empirical treatment for pre-menopausal women.
The efficacy and safety of azithromycin and penicillin V in the treatment of acute streptococcal pharyngitis/tonsillitis in paediatric patients were compared in a double-blind, double-dummy prospective study. A total of 489 children (age range, 2-13 years) were randomized to receive treatment with penicillin V (125-250 mg 4 x daily for 10 days) or azithromycin in an oral suspension (10 or 20 mg/kg 1 x daily for 3 days). Only patients with baseline cultures positive for Streptococcus pyogenes and complete clinical and microbiological assessments at the end of the therapy and follow-up one month later were included in the efficacy analysis. A satisfactory clinical response (cure or improvement) was recorded in 99% of the 10 mg/kg azithromycin group, 100% of the 20 mg/kg azithromycin group, and 97% of the penicillin V group at the end of therapy (day 12-14). At the follow-up evaluation (day 28-30), relapse rates in patients cured or improved at the end of therapy were 6%, 5%, and 2%, respectively. Bacteriological eradication rates at the end of therapy were 98% in both azithromycin groups and 92% in patients who received penicillin V (p = 0.011); pathogen recurrence was recorded at follow-up in 4% of the 20 mg/kg azithromycin group and in 6% of both the 10 mg/kg azithromycin and penicillin V groups. Treatment-related adverse events, the majority of mild to moderate severity, occurred in 13% of patients in the 20 mg/kg azithromycin group, 9% in the 10 mg/kg azithromycin group, and 5% in the penicillin V group. Azithromycin in a dosage of 10 or 20 mg/kg/day one daily for three days was as safe and effective as penicillin V administered four times daily in the treatment of paediatric patients with acute pharyngitis/tonsillitis.
Azithromycin and cefaclor were compared for the treatment of acute otitis media, streptococcal pharyngitis/tonsillitis, or sinusitis in an open multicentre study conducted in 530 adults. At the end of therapy (day 11-15), 228/245 (93%) patients treated with azithromycin 500 mg once daily for 3 days and 233/241 (97%) treated with cefaclor 250 mg given three times daily for 10 days were considered to have responded satisfactorily (cured or improved). In bacteriologically evaluable patients with pharyngitis/ tonsillitis, Streptococcus pyogenes was eradicated in 116/117 (99%) azithromycin- and in 115/119 (97%) cefaclor-treated patients at day 11-15; one patient in each group had become reinfected after initial eradication of the pathogen. When followed up on day 25-30, S. pyogenes infection had recurred in 5/105 (5%) azithromycin and 4/108 (3%) cefaclor patients who had responded satisfactorily at day 11-15, and whose baseline pathogen had been eradicated. Of these patients, two in the azithromycin and one in the cefaclor group also relapsed clinically; the others remained asymptomatic. Patients tolerated both treatments well; treatment-related adverse events were recorded in 11% of the 267 azithromycin- and 10% of the 263 cefaclor-treated patients assessed for safety. One azithromycin patient and five cefaclor patients withdrew because of adverse events. The results of the study show that a 3-day regimen of azithromycin, given once daily, is as effective and well tolerated as a multiple-daily, 10-day cefaclor regimen for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in adults.
The efficacy and safety of trovafloxacin and amoxicillin were compared in a double-blind, double-dummy multicentre trial involving 412 patients (> or = 40 years of age) with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECBs). Patients were randomized to 5 days' oral treatment with 200 or 100 mg trovafloxacin administered once daily, or 500 mg amoxicillin given three times daily. Overall clinical efficacy at the end of therapy was similar in each treatment group, with clinical success (cure+improvement) achieved in 88% and 91% of clinically evaluable patients receiving trovafloxacin 200 mg and 100 mg, respectively, and in 89% of amoxicillin-treated patients. Corresponding rates at follow-up were 77%, 85% and 79%, respectively. Similar responses were noted at the end of treatment and end of study in the intent-to-treat patients. Although all three treatments produced similar bacteriological efficacy, there was a trend towards higher eradication rates for Haemophilus influenzae among patients (both clinically evaluable and intent-to-treat populations) treated with trovafloxacin 200 mg compared with those treated with amoxicillin. Both drugs were well tolerated, with treatment-related adverse events, of which headache and gastrointestinal disturbances were the most common, occurring in 12% and 6% of patients in the trovafloxacin 200 mg and 100 mg groups, respectively, and in 9% of amoxicillin-treated patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.