EFFECT OF ORAL ANTIBIOTICS ON LUNG MUCOCILIARY CLEARANCE DURING EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE

It has been well established that lung mucociliary clearance is depres sed in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study examines whether oral antibiotics have a detectable effect on this cl earance mechanism during exacerbation in patients with such disease. T welve patients with a mean +/- SE age of 63 +/- 2 years participated i n a randomized, double-blind, parallel group study to assess the effec t of 1 week of treatment with amoxycillin (500 mg t.d.s.) or ciproflox acin (500 mg b.d.) on lung mucociliary clearance during exacerbation. Lung mucociliary clearance rates were measured by a non-invasive radio aerosol technique. Both drugs on average resulted in small, non-signif icant, enhancement of mucociliary clearance. Following treatment, the numbers of coughs were reduced in both groups and significantly (P<0.0 5) after treatment with ciprofloxacin. Sputum production was also sign ificantly reduced (P<0.01) in both groups. The magnitude of improvemen t in lung mucociliary clearance was relatively modest following 1 week of treatment with either antibiotic. Since the number of coughs was s ignificantly less after ciprofloxacin treatment the measured enhanceme nt of lung mucociliary transport is probably, however, an underestimat e.