Clinical evaluation of the tolerability and efficacy of trovafloxacin compared with sparfloxacin in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections

Objective: To evaluate the clinical tolerability and efficacy of trovafloxa cin compared with sparfloxacin in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. Design: This was a randomised, double-blind, controlled, parallel study. Participants and Interventions: 92 patients with lower respiratory tract in fection were enrolled in three centres. 45 patients received trovafloxacin 200mg once daily orally for 10 days and 43 patients received sparfloxacin 4 00mg on the first day and 200mg once daily orally for 9 days. Clinical eval uation was performed for fever, dyspnoea, pulmonary symptoms, cough and spu tum on days 1, 3, 6 and 12 of the study along with bacteriological evaluati on on days 1 and 12. Any adverse effects were also recorded during the stud y period. Results: There was a significant reduction in the severity of symptoms from day 4 until the end of the study. Clinical cure or improvement was seen in 87 and 95% of the trovafloxacin and sparfloxacin groups, respectively. Bac teriological eradication rates were 84 and 89% for the trovafloxacin and sp arfloxacin groups, respectively. The number of adverse effects was 10 and 1 3 reported by 10 and 13 patients in the trovafloxacin and sparfloxacin grou ps, respectively. Conclusions: Trovafloxacin is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections in a dosage of 200mg daily. It was o bserved that the efficacy and tolerability of trovafloxacin is comparable t o that of sparfloxacin (200mg daily, with a loading dose of 400mg on the fi rst day) in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. However, f urther studies are needed to confirm this.