Sulbactam/ampicillin combination in the treatment of acute and chronic lower respiratory infections.

The clinical and bacteriological efficacy of a sulbactam/ampicillin combination was compared with piperacillin in a group of 50 patients suffering from acute or chronic lower respiratory infections: 26 were treated intravenously with piperacillin and 24 with sulbactam/ampicillin. The treatment was continued for at least 7 days for 24 patients at the dosage of 3 g sulbactam/ampicillin twice daily, for a further 24 patients at the dosage of 6 g piperacillin twice daily and for two patients at the dosage of 8 g piperacillin twice daily. In the patients treated with sulbactam/ampicillin, a rapid decrease in the fever with the concomitant reduction in cough and sputum production was observed, with cure in 18 cases and improvement in six. In the patients treated with piperacillin cure was observed in 14 cases and improvement in 12 cases. In both treatment groups safety was excellent. There was no significant difference, either in effectiveness or tolerability, between the two groups.