Randomised double-blind comparison of oral gatifloxacin and co-amoxiclav for acute exacerbation of chronic Bronchitis.

Antimicrobial therapy can have a significant impact in the treatment of acute infectious exacerbations in patients with chronic bronchitis, in whom repeated episodes are common. The aim of this randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group study was to compare the efficacy and safety of oral gatifloxacin (200 and 400 mg once daily) administered for 5 days with co-amoxiclav (500 mg amoxicillin/125 mg clavulanic acid t.i.

Clinical effectiveness of levofloxacin in patients with acute purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: the relationship with in-vitro activity.

The objective of this randomized, double-blind study was to compare the clinical efficacy of levofloxacin at two different dosages with that of cefuroxime axetil in patients with acute purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and, in particular, to assess the impact of the susceptibility to levofloxacin on the clinical findings. In total, 124 evaluable patients were treated for 7 days with oral levofloxacin 250 mg or 500 mg od, or cefuroxime axetil 250 mg bd. Sputum cultures were monitored pre-treatment, and at 1 and 7 days after the end of treatment.

Levofloxacin versus cefuroxime axetil in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis: results of a randomized, double-blind study.

A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, three-arm parallel design, multicentre study was conducted among adult patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) in order to compare the efficacy and safety of two different doses of levofloxacin with cefuroxime axetil. A total of 832 patients were randomized to receive oral levofloxacin (250 mg od or 500 mg od) or oral cefuroxime axetil (250 mg bd) for 7-10 days. The primary efficacy analysis was based on the clinical response in patients with bacteriologically confirmed AECB, determined 5-14 days after the end of therapy (per-protocol population).

A comparison of the onset of action of salbutamol and formoterol in reversing methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction.

This single-centre, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy four-way cross-over study in 24 moderately severe asthmatic patients compared the speed of onset of recommended doses of salbutamol (200 micrograms) and formoterol (12 micrograms) delivered by metered-dose inhaler in reversing the bronchoconstriction induced by a cumulative dose of methacholine to produce a 20% decrease (PD20) in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). Specific airway conductance (SGAW) and airway resistance (RAW) were measured in baseline condition, immediately after challenge and 0.5, 1.

Therapeutic equivalence of a novel HFA134a-containing metered-dose inhaler and the conventional CFC inhaler (Berodual) for the delivery of a fixed combination of fenoterol/ipratropium bromide. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in patients with asthma.

The efficacy and safety of a novel fenoterol/ipratropium bromide metered-dose inhaler (MDI) formulated with a non-chlorinated propellant, HFA134a, has been compared with placebo and the conventional chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-containing fenoterol/ipratropium bromide inhaler (Berodual) in asthmatic patients. Fifty-two patients were enrolled in two centres. The fenoterol/ ipratropium bromide treatment produced significantly (P < 0.