About Management of Cough in Patients with Community-acquired Pneumonia: the Results of MUCASTAT PLUS Trial

Abstract

The objective: to study an effectiveness and tolerability of free prescription by physicians of erdostein and ambroxol for management of cough in hospitalized patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia on the background of standard antibacterial treatment after completion of MUCASTAT trial.Materials and methods. 245 patients (110 men and 135 women) aged 21–82 years were included in an open prospective non-randomized study. All the patients received standard antibacterial treatment for 7–10 days and mucoactive drugs of erdosteine (Mucitus) or ambroxol in standard dosages for no less then 6 days. CAP-Sym-12 and Scale of Estimation of CAP (SECAP) questionnaires were used to estimate pneumonia-related symptoms.Results. In 2–3 days from the beginning of therapy the patients from erdosteine group began to estimate their well-being (condition) and cough intensity (according to CAP-Sym-12 questionnaire) better, than patients from ambroxol group. In subsequent observation periods (in 7±1 and 12±2 days from the beginning of treatment) superiority of erdosteine was documented by objective (lesser quantity of patients suffering from cough and sputum expectoration) and subjective methods (CAP-Sym-12 and SECAP questionnaires).Conclusion. An effectiveness, good tolerability and superiority of erdosteine over ambroxol for management of cough and sputum expectoration in hospitalized patients with community acquired pneumonia on the background of standard antibacterial treatment were confirmed in MUCASTAT PLUS study.