Comparison of a 5 day regimen of cefdinir with a 10 day regimen of cefprozil for treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis

Patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis were treated with c efdinir 300 mg bd for 5 days or cefprozil 500 mg bd for 10 days in a prospe ctive, randomized, double-blind, multi-centre study. Of the 548 patients en rolled, 281 (51%) were evaluable. The clinical cure rates at the test-of-cu re visit were 80% (114/142) and 72% (100/139) for the evaluable patients tr eated with cefdinir and cefprozil, respectively. Respiratory tract pathogen s were isolated from 409 (75%) of 548 admission sputum specimens, with the predominant pathogens being Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Haemophilus influen zae, Staphylococcus aureus and Moraxella catarrhalis. The microbiological e radication rates at the test-of-cure visit were 81% (157 of 193 pathogens) and 84% (166 of 198 pathogens) for the evaluable patients treated with cefd inir and cefprozil, respectively. Adverse event rates while on treatment we re equivalent between the two treatment groups. The incidence of diarrhoea during therapy was higher for patients treated with cefdinir (17%) than for patients treated with cefprozil (6%) (P < 0.01), but most cases were mild and did not lead to discontinuation of treatment. These results indicate th at a 5 day regimen of cefdinir is as effective and safe in the treatment of patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis as a 10 day regime n of cefprozil.