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Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to treat acute bronchitis, although their use remains controversial. To determine the effectiveness of erythromycin in treating this condition, investigators conducted a double-blind, randomized trial in 63 adults with acute productive cough. Forty-eight patients completed the study.
Patients received a 10-day course of either 333 mg of erythromycin three times daily or placebo. Compared with the placebo group, the group treated with erythromycin showed more rapid improvement: after six to ten days, they had significantly less sputum production and general malaise, and fewer cold symptoms. By the end of the study, the treatment group had less purulent sputum, less congestion, and required fewer cold medica…