title: Moxifloxacin versus levofloxacin against acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: the Latin American Cohort.
abstract: We compared the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin for the treatment of patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) using a prospective, randomized, double blind, parallel-group clinical trial design. A total of 563 patients with AECB were enrolled (437 efficacy-valid) at 34 centers in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Patients were randomized to oral therapy with either moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily for 5 days or levofloxacin 500 mg once daily for 7 days. Clinical success was achieved in 201 out of 221 (91.0%) patients in the moxifloxacin group, and in 203 out of 216 (94.0%) in the levofloxacin group, indicating that moxifloxacin is equivalently effective to levofloxacin. Bacteriologic eradication or presumed eradication was also similar in the two treatment groups: 92.8% in the moxifloxacin group and 93.8% in the levofloxacin group. Nausea was the most common drug-related adverse event in each treatment group. The rate of discontinuation because of adverse events was very low (2%). In conclusion, a 5-day course of moxifloxacin is clinically and bacteriologically equivalent to a 7-day course of levofloxacin in the treatment of patients with AECB. The short treatment duration with moxifloxacin may have compliance advantages over other currently used therapies in the 'real-life' clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urueta-Robledo
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariza
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Jardim
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Calderón
authors.forename: Carlos F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Amábile-Cuevas
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hernández-Oliva
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vivar-Orozco
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001118:Argentina; D001372:Aza Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003105:Colombia; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077266:Moxifloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010568:Peru; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011804:Quinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D001372:Aza Compounds; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D011804:Quinolines; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D000077266:Moxifloxacin