title: Sequential therapy in the hospital management of lower respiratory infections.
abstract: Conventional treatment for patients hospitalized with lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, typically consists of parenteral antibiotic therapy for 7-10 days. The clinical evidence, however, shows that in most patients the objective and subjective indicators of infection are substantially improved within the first 2 days of treatment. Thus, many of these patients can be switched to oral antibiotics after 2-3 days of parenteral therapy, with no loss in efficacy of treatment and with substantial savings in terms of cost of care and length of hospital stay. beta-Lactam antibiotics are a frequent choice for the oral component following short-term intravenous therapy. The results of recent, large-scale comparative clinical trials support the usefulness of this treatment approach, known as sequential therapy.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik, Kliniken des Main-Taunus-Kreises, Hofheim am Taunus, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017046:Cost Savings; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007769:Lactams; D007902:Length of Stay; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007769:Lactams