EFFICACY AND TOLERANCE OF CEFOTAXIME FOLLOWED BY ORAL CEFIXIME VERSUS CEFOTAXIME ALONE IN PATIENTS WITH LOWER RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS

The efficacy and safety of intravenous cefotaxime followed by oral cefixime versus intravenous cefotaxime alone were evaluated in this open, randomized, controlled trial of 100 patients with lower respiratory tract infections. Pneumonia and bronchopneumonia were diagnosed most frequently, followed by acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and purulent tracheobronchitis. Ninety-four patients met all criteria for the evaluation of efficacy. Favorable clinical results (cure or improvement) were obtained in 93.6% of evaluable patients in each treatment group. Four patients treated with cefotaxime alone and five patients treated with cefotaxime and cefixime experienced adverse events; two of these patients died due to unrelated causes. Of the remaining side effects, only three were assessed as at least possibly related to the study medication (diarrhea, nausea, and deterioration of preexisting genital mycosis). In this study, intravenous to oral switch therapy with cefixime was as effective and safe as parenteral therapy with cefotaxime alone.