Lower respiratory tract infections treated with bacampicillin: a dose comparison

In an open multicentre study of bacampicillin (Penglobe), a new orally well absorb ed prodrug of ampicillin, 516 patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis or pneumonia were treated by a group of Belgian pneumologists or internists. Bacampicillin was given in a dosage regimen of 400 mg or 800 mg three times daily. In patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis the clinical success rate was high, over 95% in both groups. An improvement in the sputum purulence score was seen in 93% of the patients with an initially purulent sputum and 69% had a normal mucoid sputum at follow-up. The clinical success rate in patients with pneumonia was also similar in both dosage groups with success rates over 96%. The total number of patients with adverse reactions was not more than 5-4%, of which the majority were considered mild or moderate. Each type of side-effect occurred in a frequency of 1-2% or less. There were no differences between the two dosage regiments as regards the frequency of side-effects indicates a remarkably good tolerance of bacampicillin also with the higher dosage.