Cefodizime in acute purulent exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease.

Clinical, microbiological and pharmacokinetic studies were carried out after 1 or 2 g intramuscular injections bd of cefodizime (HR 221), a new aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, in 41 patients hospitalized for acute purulent exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease. Treatment was for 10 days. Serum Cmax values of 54.8 and 84.7 mg/l were recorded approximately 2 hours after the injections, the corresponding sputum values averaging 1.01 and 2.58 mg/l. Penetration from blood to sputum was 2 to 3.6%. The elimination phase half-life in serum was approximately 4.5 h. Clinical, microbiological and pharmacokinetic studies were carried out after 1 or 2 g intramuscular injections bd of cefodizime (HR 221), a new aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, in 41 patients hospitalized for acute purulent exacerbations of chronic respirators disease. Treatment was for 10 days. Serum Cmax values of 54.8 and 84.7 mg/l were recorded approximately 2 hours after the injections, the corresponding sputum values averaging 1.01 and 2.58 mg/l. Penetration from blood to sputum was 2 to 3.6%. The elimination phase half-life in serum was approximately 4.5 h.

Clinical, microbiological and pharmacokinetic studies on ofloxacin in acute purulent exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease.

Thirty hospital patients with acute purulent exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease were treated with 400 mg ofloxacin by mouth either once or twice daily for ten days. Studies on concomitantly administered theophylline showed no significant accumulation. Most sputum cultures no longer yielded pathogens at the end-of-treatment, but some Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains persisted. Clinical results were usually excellent at the end of treatment (26/30 patients) and excellent or good a week later (24/30), although they were better in the patients receiving once daily dosage. One patient developed a maculopapular drug rash which disappeared when ofloxacin was discontinued.

Serum potassium and body weight during treatment with two fixed combinations of beta-blockers and diuretics in hypertensive patients: a controlled study.

Two fixed combinations of beta-blockers and diuretics, penbutolol plus furosemide and pindolol plus clopamide, were compared with respect to efficacy, safety, and tolerability in hypertensive out-patients. The two preparations were equally effective in reducing blood pressure when given as a single daily dose. Doubling the dosage for those patients who responded poorly did not improve therapeutic response. The group treated with pindolol-clopamide had a significant increase in mean body weight and a substantial decrease in serum potassium concentrations. No direct relationship between these findings could be demonstrated, but the loss of potassium would be an important consideration when treating patients who are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of hypokalemia.

Double-blind comparison of prenylamine and penbutolol in patients with angina pectoris.

This study was performed to re-evaluate the clinical position of prenylamine in the management of angina pectoris. After 1 week withdrawal of all anti-anginal agents, followed by another week of placebo administration, seventeen patients were allocated at random to 6 weeks treatment with either penbutolol 40 mg once a day or prenylamine 60 mg t.i.d. Clinical examination, exercise test and anginal attack rate were recorded every 2 weeks. Both drugs reduced the anginal attack rate. None of the drugs caused a significant increase in maximal workload or a significant change in ST-segment depression. Beside a substantially lower rate-pressure product at maximal comparable workload in the penbutolol group (p less than 0.001), no significant differences were observed between the two drugs. No adverse reactions were reported. From these results one can conclude that prenylamine and penbutolol do not differ in their anti-anginal effect. Therefore we are of the opinion that prenylamine has a place in the therapeutic armamentarium for the management of angina pectoris, particularly in patients where beta-blocking agents are contraindicated or in patients who have experienced side-effects of beta-blocking or calcium-entry blocking agents.