Comparison between Levofloxacin and Azithromycin in Short-term Spirometry and Oxygen Saturation Indices in Patients...

Bronchiectasis is a chronic pulmonary disease characterized by abnormal and permanent dilatation of the airways in the lung. This study was conducted to compare the effect of levofloxacin with azithromycin in improving the lung function of these patients.

In this parallel double-blinded randomized clinical trial, 72 patients with exacerbated bronchiectasis were included and randomly divided into two intervention groups. One group was treated with levofloxacin (500 mg daily for two weeks at first and then 250 mg daily in the next four weeks), and the other group with azithromycin (500 mg daily in the first two weeks and then with a dose of 250 mg daily for the next four weeks) for 6 weeks. The pulmonary function tests were performed and analyzed at the beginning of the study, two, four, and six weeks after the intervention.

The mean expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and the percentage of oxygen saturation (O₂Sat) in the levofloxacin group and the azithromycin group were not significantly different at the beginning of the study. Importantly, six weeks after the initiation, the mean FEV1 (61.02±8.54% vs. 56.88±7.13%, p=0.029) and O₂Sat (91.00±1.72% vs. 85.44±1.77%, p=0.001) in the levofloxacin group were significantly higher than those in the azithromycin group.

The present study showed that the favorable effect of six-week therapy with levofloxacin compared to azithromycin can significantly increase the pulmonary values of FEV1 and O₂Sat in patients with exacerbated bronchiectasis.