Value of short-course antimicrobial therapy in community-acquired pneumonia.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Non-compliance with therapy may be associated with deterioration in the patient's condition, treatment failure, and increased use and cost of healthcare resources such as the requirement for additional drugs and hospital admission. Adherence to the prescribed regimen is affected by a number of variables including dosing interval, treatment duration, adverse effects, and palatability in pediatric patients. Accumulating evidence suggests that short-course antimicrobial therapy may be at least as effective as, and in some cases may be more effective than, traditional longer therapies (7-14 days) even in hospital-acquired pneumonia. Given the unique pharmacokinetic properties of azithromycin, attempts have been made to condense the traditional total dose over a 3-5-day period into single-dose therapy with the aim of improving treatment compliance. The results of two phase III CAP trials indicate that a single 2.0 g dose of azithromycin microspheres is a suitable alternative to 7 days of either clarithromycin XL or levofloxacin.
Institute of Respiratory Diseases, University of Milan, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico-Mangiagalli-Regina Elena Milano, Italy. francesco.blasi@unimi.it
Francesco
F
Blasi
Paolo
P
Tarsia
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D064704:Levofloxacin; D017963:Azithromycin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D017291:Clarithromycin