[Treatment of lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia. Comparative study with i.vl cefotaxime/oral cefixime versus parenteral cefotaxime]

Abstract

Method: In this open, randomized and controlled multicenter study involving a total of 100 hospitalized patients with infections of the lower respiratory tract, including pneumonia, the efficacy and tolerability of sequential treatment with cefotaxime i.v./cefixime oral were compared with those of exclusively parenteral treatment with cefotaxime. The patients received either 2 x 2 g cefotaxime i.v. over a period of 7 to 10 days, or 2 x 2 g cefotaxime over a period of 48 to 72 hours followed by oral cefixime treatment (1 x 400 mg/day) for a further 5 to 8 days.

Results: A total of 94 patients were evaluated for efficacy; in 93.6% of the evaluable patients in each treatment group, either a cure or improvement was obtained. In four patients in the cefotaxime group and five patients treated first with cefotaxime and then with cefixime, adverse reactions were observed. For three of these adverse reactions (diarrhea, nausea, aggravation of an pre-existing genital mycosis) an association with the respective test substance was considered to be at least possible.