A multicentre study comparing the safety and efficacy of dirithromycin with erythromycin in the treatment of bronchitis
Abstract
This European multicentre (110 centres), double-blind, randomized clinical trial compared the safety and efficacy of dirithromycin (500 mg orally once daily) and erythromycin (250 mg orally qds) in the treatment of either acute bacterial bronchitis or acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. From January 1989 to September 1990, 1222 patients (529 with acute bronchitis and 693 with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis) were included in the trial. Clinical and bacteriological evaluations were performed on 135 evaluable patients with acute bronchitis (72 in the dirithromycin group and 63 in the erythromycin group) and in 202 patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (89 treated with dirithromycin and 113 treated with erythromycin). Evaluations were performed during treatment (days 3-5), post-therapy (three to five days after therapy completion), and late post-therapy (10-14 days following the end of therapy). In acute bronchitis, both drugs were effective with clinical success rates of 93.0% and 95.2% at post-therapy, and 96.9% and 100% at late post-therapy for dirithromycin and erythromycin, respectively. Pathogen eradication rates at post-therapy were 83.3% for the dirithromycin group and 85.7% for the erythromycin group. In acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, the drugs were also effective with 89.9% and 92.1% cure or improvement at post-therapy and 98.7% and 95.0% at late post-therapy for dirithromycin and erythromycin, respectively.…
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: 1,222 participants or records.
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