Evidence Hub

Antibiotic therapy regimens for mild community-acquired pneumonia in patients with risk factors for ineffective treatment: clinical and economic comparisons

Zaĭtsev AA, Makarevich AM, Kondrat'eva TV, Kalugin VV

Terapevticheskii arkhiv, 2013

147 participants

Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficiency, tolerance, and pharmacoeconomic parameters of treatment for mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in patients with risk factors for ineffective treatment with levofloxacin (Glevo) versus original levofloxacin and standard pharmacotherapy regimens for mild pneumonia (real practice).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An open-label comparative randomized trial was conducted in parallel groups of 147 patients aged > or = 18 years with mild CAP and risk factors for ineffective treatment. Group 1 included 61 patients (59 men and 2 women; mean age 23.3 +/- 11.2 years) receiving levofloxacin (Glevo) 500 mg/day; Group 2 comprised 41 patients (39 men and 1 woman; mean age 26.4 +/- 13.4 years) treated with original levofloxacin 500 mg/day; Group 3 consisted of 45 patients (all men; mean age 23.7 +/- 9.9 years) on standard therapy. The trial was performed in 3 pulmonology centers.

RESULTS: The use of the respiratory fluoroquinolone levofloxacinto treat mild CAP in the patients with risk factors for failure for its therapy demonstrated a higher efficiency than the antibiotic regimens used in real clinical practice. This suggests that physicians underestimate risk factors and do not always make a rational choice of an antimicrobial agent in the given clinical situation.

CONCLUSION: The generic form of levofloxacin (Glevo) is as clinically effective as its original drug in the treatment of CAP and characterized by its optimal pharmacoeconomic parameters.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 147 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free