title: [Evaluation of clinical effectiveness and direct costs of azithromycin treatment for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in hospitalized patients and ambulatory care].
abstract: This paper presents the efficacy and cost of therapy with azithromycin for the treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Two subgroups were investigated: out-patients and hospitalized patients--20 in each group (17 women and 23 men). Azithromycin 500 mg was administered sequentially once daily. A complete physical examination including temperature, respiratory rate, cough, production and characteristics of sputum so as general aspects of quality of life assessed by COPD exacerbation questionnaire was made in hospitalized patients on a daily base and in a day 10-14 after the end of therapy. Out-patients were assessed in day 1, 3-5 days after the start of study drug treatment and 10-14 days after the end of therapy. Pulmonary function tests were assessed three times during the whole study course. The results of the study suggest similar duration of therapy with azithromycin in both study subgroups, whereas in out-patients decrease and regression of symptoms were statistically significantly quicker with tendency approximately the same in both study subgroups. The cost of therapy with azithromycin was similar in both subgroups but the complete cost of COPD exacerbation treatment was significantly lower in out-patients in comparison to hospitalized patients group (473.71 PLN and 2587.87 respectively).
authors.affiliation: Wojskowy Instytut Medyczny, Klinika Chorób Wewnetrznych, Pneumonologii i Alergologii CSK MON w Warszawie.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jahnz-Rózyk
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kucharczyk
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Targowski
authors.forename: Sławomir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: From
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mamełka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin