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Because of its unpredictable activity against the pneumococcus, ciprofloxacin is not usually considered a first-line treatment for respiratory infections. These two manufacturer-sponsored studies suggest that in patients with chronic bronchitis, it may still be a legitimate choice.
The first study randomized 307 adults with underlying asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a new episode of purulent bronchitis to blinded treatment with ciprofloxacin or cefuroxime axetil for 14 days. Haemophilus influenzae was the most commonly isolated pathogen, followed by Moraxella catarrhalis. Pneumococcus was found in less than 10 percent of patients. Clinical resolution was 90 percent or greater in both groups; about 50 percent of both group…