Clinical Assessment of a Trimethoprim-Sulfamethopyrazine Combination (Kelfiprim) in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

The new combination of trimethoprim 250 mg and sulfamethopyrazine 200 mg was used in fourteen out-patients and eighteen in-patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, pneumonia or bronchopneumonia due to sensitive bacteria. The drug was given for 1 to 2 weeks as one capsule daily (following a double loading dose on the first day), and ampicillin, 500 mg capsules q.i.d., was administered to another group of eleven in-patients for comparison. Overall results, based on clinical, radiological and laboratory findings, were excellent or good in 85% and 67%, respectively, of out- and in-patients receiving the combination drug; definite failures were one out of fourteen and two out of eighteen cases, and the remainder were assessed as fair. In three out of thirty-two patients mild to moderate gastro-intestinal side-effects were observed during treatment. The drug compared favourably to ampicillin for both effectiveness and safety.