FRIDAY, Nov. 5, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- A single dose of the oral antibiotic azithromycin is as effective as multiple doses of other frequently prescribed treatments for respiratory tract infections in adults.
That was the conclusion of three studies presented Oct. 31 at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Washington, D.C.
The studies were sponsored by Pfizer Inc., which makes azithromycin (Zithromax). The company has submitted the data for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer is seeking approval for azithromycin as a treatment for adult respiratory tract infections.
The studies found that a single dose of azithromycin microspheres provides a complete course of therapy for acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS), and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
"Given the efficacy of a one-time-dose for these common infections and the assured compliance, the hope would be that this type of regimen can help minimize the emergence of antibiotic resistance," Dr. Michael Niederman, chairman of the department of medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital and professor of medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, said in a prepared statement.
"Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in the treatment of community respiratory tract infections, and one of the factors that contributes to its development is patients taking an incomplete course of therapy," Niederman said.
More information
The American Lung Association has more about chronic bronchitis.
