Stepwise therapy of community-acquired pneumonia. Results of cefuroxime and cefuroxime axetil study

The efficacy of a 7-day switch therapy with parenteral cefuroxime in a dose of 750 mg for 3-5 days followed by the use of oral cefuroxime axetil in a dose of 500 mg every 12 hours was compared with that of a 7-day therapy with parenteral cefuroxime in a dose of 750 mg every 8 hours in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The clinical and bacteriological efficacies and pharmacokinetic properties of both the dosage forms were estimated. It was shown that the clinical and bacteriological effects did not significantly differ in the patients under the parenteral regimen with cefuroxime and under the parenteral-to-oral regimen with cefuroxime and cefuroxime axetil: the cure in 75 and 83 per cent of the patients and the bacteriological response in 100 and 86 per cent of the cases respectively. The results indicated that the cost of the switch therapy was much lower while the efficacy did not decrease.