Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Antibiotic Efficacy Testing in an Ex vivo Model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms in the Cystic Fibrosis Lung
Published on: January 22, 2021
[Use of levofloxacine in primary care for outbreaks in COPD]
R de Dios del Valle1, A Hernández Sánchez, A Franco Vidal
1Centro de Salud Dr. Cirajas, Area 4, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública del Hospital La Paz, Madrid. ricardodios@jazzfree.com
Objective:
To find scientific evidence to support the indication for treating outbreaks in COPD patients on an out-patient basis with levofloxacine, as against conventional treatments.
Design:
Standardised review, following the criteria of medicine based on the evidence. A bibliographic search of the MEDLINE data base from 1966 to June 2000 was the basis for an analysis of the evidence found.
Setting:
Non-hospital treatment.
Patients And Other Participants:
COPD patients suffering a light outbreak of probable bacterial origin, according to the Anthonisen criteria.
Interventions:
The intervention analysed was treatment with 500 mg/day of levofloxacine taken orally. An attempt was made to compare this with conventional treatments such as amoxycillin-clavulanic acid and acetyl cefuroxime. The indicators of results analysed were reduction in mortality or in the number of hospital admissions.
Measurements And Main Results:
No clinical trial was found that compared levofloxacine and amoxycillin-clavulanic acid. Two clinical trials were found that compared levofloxacine and acetyl cefuroxime. These found no significant differences between the group treated with levofloxacine and the group treated with cefuroxime.
Conclusions:
No scientific evidence demonstrating advantages of levofloxacine treatment over amoxycillin-clavulanic acid was found, or over acetyl cefuroxime as empirical PC first-choice treatment for patients with outbreaks of COPD.
Related Concept Videos
Drugs Used in Upper Respiratory Disorders: Overview
Antihistamines (e.g., Benadryl) block histamines from binding. Histamines are chemicals released during an allergic reaction in the body. As a...
Drugs Used in Lower Respiratory Disorders: Overview
Bronchodilators, the first step of respiration enhancement, come in various forms, each with its own mechanism...
Antiasthma Drugs: Leukotriene Modifiers
Leukotriene modifiers work through two distinct mechanisms:
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:

