Azithromycin in the treatment of Legionella pneumonia requiring hospitalization.
Azithromycin is highly active against Legionella pneumophila and has been shown to be efficacious in animal models and in clinical studies of patients with legionnaires disease. This open, prospective, multicenter trial evaluated azithromycin for the treatment of legionnaires disease. Twenty-five hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia and a positive result of a L. pneumophila serogroup 1 urinary antigen assay received monotherapy with intravenous azithromycin (500 mg/day) for 2-7 days, followed by oral azithromycin (1500 mg administered over the course of 3 or 5 days). The mean total duration of intravenous plus oral therapy was 7.92 days. The overall cure rate among clinically evaluable patients was 95% (20 of 21 patients) at 10-14 days after therapy and 96% (22 of 23 patients) at 4-6 weeks after therapy. The results of this study support previously reported data demonstrating that azithromycin is both safe and efficacious for the treatment of hospitalized patients with legionnaires disease.
Plouffe
Joseph F
JF
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. jplouffe@columbus.RR.com
Breiman
Robert F
RF
Fields
Barry S
BS
Herbert
Mark
M
Inverso
Jill
J
Knirsch
Charles
C
Kolokathis
Antonia
A
Marrie
Thomas J
TJ
Nicolle
Lindsay
L
Schwartz
Douglas B
DB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007875:Legionella; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin