Community acquired pneumonia other wise known as CAP has been a therapeutic challenge to most of the practising physicians. This is mainly due to the
Community acquired pneumonia other wise known as CAP has been a therapeutic challenge to most of the practising physicians. This is mainly due to the growing resistance of the bacteria causing them to the available antibiotics.
Telithromycin (Ketek), a new ketolide antibiotic, is highly effective in treating patients with pneumococcal bacteraemia associated with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This is a breakthrough in the field of anti microbials as pneumococcal resistance is on the rage. Dr. Thomas M. File, Jr., of Northeastern Ohio University of Medicine, Rootstown, commented that, "Currently clinicians who perceive their patients to be at risk for infection with resistant pathogens are relying on one or two classes of antimicrobials. This results in increased pressure on those classes ", and this infact is responsible for the resistance strains of this group of bacteria.The efficacy of the drug was assessed by five clinical trials and clinical and biological outcomes was noted. Blood samples were taken before and after the therapy for both aerobic and anaerobic culture. It was found that, the overall clinical cure rate with telithromycin was 89.5% after 7 to 11 days of therapy.
Telithromycin has recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of CAP, acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (ABECB), and acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS) and is marketed by Aventis Pharma.
