COMPARISON OF ORAL CIPROFLOXACIN AND AMOXICILLIN IN TREATING INFECTIVE EXACERBATIONS OF BRONCHIECTASIS IN HONG-KONG

A randomised double-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted to c ompare oral ciprofloxacin (500 mg b.d.) and amoxycillin (1 g t.d.s.) i n the treatment of infective exacerbations of bronchiectasis. The comm onest organism isolated from sputum was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which accounted for 34% of all positive sputum cultures. Other Pseudomonas s pecies and Haemophilus influenzae, accounted for 19%, respectively. Ci profloxacin produced better clinical response, a higher sputum to seru m antibiotic level (mean of 0.65 in the ciprofloxacin group vs. 0.18 i n amoxycillin group, p = 0.0001), broader spectrum of antibacterial ac tivity and less side-effect. It was also better tolerated by patients. The findings suggest that ciprofloxacin is an effective treatment of infective exacerbations of bronchiectasis.