Clinical effect of ampicillin with β-lactamase inhibitor (sulbactam/ampicillin) on community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly

 Sulbactam/ampicillin (SBT/ABPC) was administered to 83 patients aged over 75 years with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (mild, n = 43; moderate, n = 40), and its clinical effect was reviewed. It was effective in 37 of the 43 patients with mild disease (efficacy rate, 86.0%), in 27 of the 40 patients with moderate disease (efficacy rate, 67.5%), and overall in 64 of the 83 patients (efficacy rate, 77.1%). Side effects included drug eruption in 1 patient (1.2%) and abnormal laboratory findings in 11 (13.3%), all of which were mild. Based on the above, SBT/ABPC may be recommended as the first-choice drug for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in the elderly. Received: October 9, 2002 / Accepted: January 20, 2003