The efficacy of levofloxacin compared to cefuroxime in the treatment of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Antibacterial therapy is the basis of pharmacotherapy for the exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the choice of antimicrobial preparation depends on local data on the resistance of the main pathogens responsible.

Korean researchers conducted a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial that compared the efficacy of levofloxacin with cefuroxime axetil in patients with exacerbation of COPD.

The study included patients with an exacerbation of COPD and without radiological signs of pneumonia, who were randomized to receive either levofloxacin 500 mg once daily or cefuroxime 250 mg twice daily in the group d '' mild to moderate exacerbation of COPD or 500 mg 2 times a day. in case of severe exacerbation, within 7 days. Clinical efficacy and microbiological response to treatment were evaluated 5 to 7 days after taking the last dose of the antimicrobial drug.

The clinical efficacy of the treatment was found to be 90.4% in the group of patients receiving levofloxacin and 90.6% in the group in which cefuroxime was used (95% confidence interval of -9.40 to 10.91). The microbiological response to treatment was slightly higher in the levofloxacin group, but the differences with the cefuroxime group were not statistically significant. The safety profile was comparable in the two groups.

Thus, the results of this randomized trial have shown that levofloxacin is no worse in terms of clinical efficacy than cefuroxime in the treatment of patients with exacerbations of COPD.