Amoxycillin/clavulanate in acute purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis

Twenty patients, all admitted to hospital with acute purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis associated with Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae or beta-lactamase producing Branhamella catarrhalis were treated twice daily for ten days with amoxycillin/clavulanate. Ten patients were first given 1000 mg amoxycillin with 200 mg potassium clavulanate intravenously bd for three days, before crossing to the standard oral regimen of 1000 mg amoxycillin + 250 mg potassium clavulanate bd. Clinical results on day 10 were excellent in 16/20 patients, but 14 patients developed recurrences or reinfections within a week of the end-of-treatment, five of them with beta-lactamase producing B. catarrhalis. Bacteriological and kinetic studies showed that the branhamella beta-lactamases were inhibited by 0.25 mg/l clavulanic acid and that the mean sputum concentration of clavulanic acid was 0.16 mg/l, that of amoxycillin being 0.92 mg/l. The importance of the follow-up of such infections is stressed.