Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
randomized trial
Participants
CF patients ages 13 to 30 years received 34 treatment courses
Interventions
tobramycin administered either every 6 or 8 hours. Peak serum concentrations were adjusted to 8 to 10 micrograms/ml; thus a larger total daily dosage was administered to patients receiving tobramycin every 6 hours.
Outcome measures
pulmonary function, time to next hospital admission for a pulmonary exacerbation, clinical score, sputum carriage of P. aeruginosa, toxicity or necessary length of hospitalization.
Main results
The shorter dosing interval was associated with better pulmonary function at follow-up and significantly longer time before next hospital admission for a pulmonary exacerbation. During the study hospitalization there were no differences in pulmonary function tests, clinical score, sputum carriage of P. aeruginosa, toxicity or necessary length of hospitalization.
Authors' conclusions
A 6-hour tobramycin dosing interval was more efficacious than an 8-hour dosing interval in the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients.