title: A comparative study of levofloxacin and ceftriaxone in the treatment of hospitalized patients with pneumonia.
abstract: A multinational, multicentre, open, randomised study in hospitalised patients with pneumonia compared levofloxacin 500 mg twice daily with ceftriaxone 4 g i.v. once daily. Levofloxacin patients started on i.v. treatment and switched to oral on d 3-5 of therapy if signs and symptoms had improved. The minimum treatment duration was 5 d, except for treatment failure, and the median 8 d. The primary efficacy analysis was based on the per-protocol assessment of the clinical cure rate determined 2-5 d after the end of treatment in the per-protocol (PP) population (levofloxacin 127, ceftriaxone 139). Of 625 patients enrolled and randomized, 6 received no treatment, giving an intention-to-treat (ITT) population of 619 (levofloxacin 314, ceftriaxone 305). At the clinical endpoint, 2-5 d after the end of treatment, the cure rates for levofloxacin and ceftriaxone were similar in both the ITT (76% and 75%, respectively) and PP (87% and 86%, respectively) populations. Both drugs were well tolerated. Twice-daily levofloxacin 500 mg, either i.v. or as sequential i.v./oral therapy, was as effective as i.v. once-daily ceftriaxone 4 g in the treatment of hospitalized patients with pneumonia and offers the advantage of sequential therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Norrby
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Petermann
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Willcox
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salewski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D064704:Levofloxacin; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D015242:Ofloxacin