A study of difficult respiratory infections in general practice

Augmentin was used to treat 40 patients in general practice with exacerbations of bronchiectasis or chronic obstructive airways disease who had not responded clinically to treatment with antimicrobial agents. After ten days treatment 15 patients (38%) were clinically free from infection, 21 (52%) had improved but their sputum still contained pus. Four patients (10%) did not respond to treatment. Pathogens were isolated from 63 per cent of the patients; Haemophilus influenzae was the most common. The clinical response was significantly better in patients from whom recognised pathogens were not isolated.