Improving care for patients with respiratory tract infections

The common respiratory tract infections of acute bacterial sinusitis, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and community-acquired pneumonia are responsible for millions of physician office visits every year. Despite advances in diagnostic testing and the development of new antimicrobial agents, these infections continue to contribute significantly to patient morbidity and mortality worldwide. Physicians are faced with multiple challenges in the management of patients with these diseases. These challenges include the selection of appropriate empiric therapy, the increasing emergence of resistant pathogens, patient noncompliance with therapeutic regimens, and the pressure to use cost-effective agents. Patients expect their antibiotics to work rapidly so that they can feel better quickly and return swiftly to their normal activities. Moxifloxacin has been developed to address many of these problems. Its efficacy has been demonstrated in an extensive clinical trial program the results of which are summarized below. The excellent pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of moxifloxacin are covered elsewhere in this supplement, as is moxifloxacin's impressive safety and tolerability profile. Accordingly, this paper focuses on the clinical trial data currently available.