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Objectives: A combination of functional measurements reflecting a decrease in maximum flow, a degree of lung hyperinflation, the relationship between maximum inspiratory and expiratory flows, bronchodilator response, and diffusing capacity [...]

Nine centers in Italy participated in a worldwide, multicenter study comparing the effectiveness and safety of lomefloxacinand amoxicillin in patients with acute exacerbations of chrionic bronchitis caused mainly by gram-negative pathogens. The 157 enrolled patients received either 400 mg lomefloxacin once daily (n = 78) or 500 mg amoxicillin every 8 hours (n = 79) for 7-10 days. A total of 131 patients were evaluable for bacteriologic efficacy and 154 for clinical efficacy. at 2-4 days after the conclusion of treatment, the bacterial eradication rate was 84.8 [degrees] for lomefloxacin-treated patients and 64.6 [degrees] for amoxicillin-treated patients (p = 0.0065); the clinical success rate (cure plus improvement) for lomeflxacin was 94.7 [degrees] and for amoxicillin was 83.3 [degrees] (p = 0.0212). The reinfection rate was lower in the lomefloxacin group than in the amoxicillin group (3.0 [degrees] vs 13.8 [degrees], p = 0.0382). Both drug regimens were well tolerated. Once-a-day treatment with 400 mg lomefloxacin was more effective than 400 mg amoxicillin three times daily for the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis caused by gram-negative pathogens.