Clarithromycin 250 mg b.i.d. for 5 or 10 days in the treatment of adult patients with purulent bronchitis.

This Phase III, double-blind, randomized, multicenter study compared the safety and efficacy of clarithromycin, 250 mg b.i.d. administered for either 5 or 10 days, in the treatment of 221 adult patients with purulent bronchitis. Clinical evaluations were performed pre-treatment, during treatment, post-treatment, and at a follow-up visit. Both regimens were well tolerated and effective. No significant differences were observed between patients treated for 5 days and those treated for 10 days in post-treatment, clinical success (98%, 83/85; 99%, 73/74, respectively), or bacterial eradication (100%, 37/37; 94%, 33/35) rates, or in the number of patients reporting drug-related adverse events (16%, 18/112; 24%, 26/109, respectively). Clarithromycin administered for 5 days was at least as safe and as effective as a 10-day regimen in the treatment of purulent bronchitis.