A US trial shows that a shorter course of levofloxacin 750 mg for 5 days is just as effective as the longer standard treatment for patients with community-acquired pneumonia

Results of a study of 750 mg levofloxacin for 5 days have shown that its safety and efficacy are similar to the standard treatment of 500 mg for 10 days. This was a randomized, multicenter, double-blind trial involving 528 patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

The eradication rates were almost identical for the 750 mg and 500 mg groups (88.9% and 87.5%, respectively). Both treatments were well tolerated and their safety profiles were also comparable.

The authors propose further research to examine the economic consequences of the shorter course of levofloxacin treatment.

PMID: 16730170

Respir Med. 2006 May 24; [Epub ahead of print]

Source : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16730170