Moxifloxacin in the management of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and COPD.
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Bacteria are isolated in more than 50% of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (CB) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The most prevalent respiratory pathogens include Gram-positive (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and Gram-negative (Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis) microorganims. Moxifloxacin is a fourth-generation fluoroquinolone that has been shown to be effective against respiratory pathogens, including atypicals and those resistant to most common antibiotics. The bioavailability and half-life ofmoxifloxacin provides potent bactericidal effects at a dose of 400 mg once daily. Among the fluoroquinolones, the ratio of the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to minimal inhibitory concentration of moxifloxacin is the highest against S. pneumoniae. Moxifloxacin has demonstrated better eradication in exacerbations of CB and COPD compared with standard therapy, in particular, with macrolides. Patients treated with moxifloxacin showed a prolonged time to the next exacerbation and observational studies suggest that moxifloxacin induces a faster release of symptoms of exacerbation. Some guidelines recommend the use of moxifloxacin as first-line therapy in bacterial exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe COPD and in patients with mild COPD with risk factors. The current article reviews the use of moxifloxacin in bacterial exacerbations of CB and COPD. (+info)
Association of snuff use with chronic bronchitis among South African women: implications for tobacco harm reduction.
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Effects of TNF-alpha and leptin on weight loss in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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BACKGROUND: Weight loss is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the mechanisms of this weight loss are still unclear. METHODS: Sixty male patients with stable COPD and 45 healthy male controls participated in this study. The COPD patients were divided into two groups, that is, the emphysema and chronic bronchitis groups, by the transfer coefficient of carbon monoxide. The body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), plasma leptin levels and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured in all the study participants. The difference and correlation of these parameters were investigated between the two groups. RESULTS: Emphysematous patients were characterized by a lower body mass index (BMI) and fat-mass (FM) compared with the chronic bronchitis patients (p < 0.001). The plasma leptin levels, as corrected for the FM, were not different between the COPD patients and healthy controls (78.3 +/- 30.9 pg/mL/kg vs. 70.9 +/- 17.3 pg/mL/kg, respectively), and the plasma leptin levels, as adjusted for the FM, were also not different between the two groups of COPD patients. In the chronic bronchitis patients, the plasma leptin concentration was correlated with the BMI (r = 0.866, p < 0.001) but it was not correlated with the BMI in the emphysema patients. The serum TNF-alpha levels were higher in the stable COPD patients than those in the controls, but there was no statistical difference (10.7 +/- 18.6 pg/mL vs. 7.2 x 3.5 pg/mL, respectively, p0.05). The leptin concentration was well correlated with the BMI and %FM in the patients with chronic bronchitis and the leptin concentration was only correlated with the %FM (r = 0.450, p = 0.027) in emphysema patients. There was no correlation between the plasma leptin concentration, as adjusted for the fat mass, and the activity of the TNF-alpha system. CONCLUSION: The interaction of leptin and the activity of the TNF-alpha system in the pathogenesis of tissue depletion may not play an important role in chronic stable COPD patients. (+info)
Costs of treating lower respiratory tract infections.
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OBJECTIVE: To determine the direct medical costs of treating lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in a managed care organization (MCO). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a regional MCO identifying adults diagnosed with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) or community- acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: A claims database examination of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes was conducted to identify adults receiving initial outpatient care for an LRTI during 2005-2006. Medical record review then was conducted to verify clinical diagnosis of AECB or CAP. Clinical and demographic data were collected. Outpatient office and clinic visits, hospitalization, and radiology, pathology, and pharmacy records were used to determine treatment costs. Treatment failure was determined by use of a second antibiotic course, follow-up emergency room presentation, or hospitalization for LRTI within 28 days of the index visit. The primary outcome was per-case treatment cost from the payer perspective. RESULTS: Clinical diagnosis was confirmed for 65 unique coded visits (60 patients; 39 with AECB, 22 with CAP; 1 in both cohorts). Initial visit, initial diagnostic testing, and subsequent hospitalization accounted for the majority (63%) of payer costs. Antibiotics were responsible for 15% of payer costs. Higher initial antibiotic expenditure in the AECB cohort yielded a cost-benefit ratio of 3:1. Mean per-case costs for success and failure were $277 & $372 for AECB, and $493 & $3019 for CAP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Initial visit and hospitalization costs contribute the majority of payer expenditure while antibiotic expenditure incurs a nominal burden. Higher expenditure on initial antibiotic therapy in the AECB population appears to be beneficial. (+info)
Surfactant proteins SP-B and SP-C and their precursors in bronchoalveolar lavages from children with acute and chronic inflammatory airway disease.
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External application of herbal medicine to acupoints.
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Application of herbal medicine to acupoints is to regulate the meridians, yin-yang, and qi and blood for preventing and treating diseases through the pharmacological action of herbal medicines and with their stimulation to the acupoints. This article explains how to apply herbal medicines and gave the examples for the treatment of hypertension, asthma, chronic bronchitis and allergic rhinitis. Application of herbal medicines to acupoints is one of the important components of TCM, which shows satisfactory effects in treatment of some chronic diseases. (+info)
Short- versus long-duration antimicrobial treatment for exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: a meta-analysis.
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