Clarithromycin Modified Release Observational Study for Evaluation of Treatment, Tolerability & Recovery Time in Saudi & Egyptian Clinical Settings (CLOSER)

Fast recovery is defined as the resolution of symptoms within 5 days or less from the start of clarithromycin modified release treatment. Recovery is defined as returning to the symptom status prior to the onset of the respiratory tract infection, based on the participant and physician's assessment.

Data are reported for all symptoms taken together (all symptoms resolved within 5 days) and for each individual symptom.

Clinical success is defined as the disappearance of cough and other symptoms within 10 days or less from the start of clarithromycin treatment.

Based on the participant and physician's assessment, overall symptom response was classified as follows:

• Fast Responders: participants showing clinical recovery of all symptoms within the first 5 days of treatment.
• Slow Responders: participants showing clinical recovery between Day 6 & Day 10 (includes participants with a fast response for some symptoms and slow response for the remaining symptoms).
• Failure response: participants showing no clinical success by Day 10, or showing need for another anti-infective treatment to resolve aggravated symptoms (includes participants with a failure response for some symptoms and either a slow or fast response for the remaining symptoms).

Treatment failure is defined as failure to return to baseline symptom status (symptom status prior to the onset of the respiratory tract infection) within 10 days or the need for new treatments or medications during the first 10 days for persistence or aggravation of symptoms.

Participants with treatment failure were further categorized as:

• All symptoms improved but not resolved within the study period;
• Some symptoms improved and some resolved;
• Some symptoms resolved or improved while other symptoms did not improve (unchanged);
• Some symptoms resolved or improved while other symptoms became worse.

Factors affecting the speed of recovery were examined and tested for association with the speed of recovery. Logistic regression was conducted to assess whether the following nine variables; age, gender, body mass index (BMI), concomitant tobacco use, steroid use, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, nasal septum deviation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) act as predictors for speed of recovery of respiratory tract infections. Data shown are the beta regression coefficients for each variable.

An adverse event (AE) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a patient, which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with their treatment.

If an adverse event meets any of the following criteria, it is considered a serious adverse event (SAE):

Results in death or is life-threatening, results in admission or prolongation of hospitalization, is a congenital anomaly or persistent or significant disability/incapacity or is an important medical event requiring medical or surgical intervention to prevent any of the outcomes listed above.

Please see Adverse Events section below for more details.

Participants with fever (temperature over 37.0 degree of Celsius) at any time during the study were classified at the end of study as resolved, improved or no change. 'No fever' indicates participants with no fever during the study period.

Participants with cough at any time during the study were classified at the end of study as resolved, improved, became worse, or no change. 'No cough' indicates participants with no cough symptoms during the study period.

Participants with sputum symptoms at any time during the study were classified at the end of study as resolved, improved, became worse, or no change. 'No sputum' indicates participants with no sputum symptoms during the study period.

Participants with dyspnea (shortness of breath) at any time during the study were classified at the end of study as resolved, improved, became worse, or no change. 'No dyspnea' indicates participants with no dyspnea symptoms during the study period.

Participants with abnormal breathing sounds such as wheezing or rales at any time during the study were classified at the end of study as resolved, improved, or no change. 'No abnormal breath sounds' indicates participants with no abnormal breathing sounds during the study period.

Participants with rhinorrhea (runny nose) at any time during the study were classified at the end of study as resolved, or no change. 'No rhinorrhea' indicates participants with no rhinorrhea during the study period.

Participants with post-nasal discharge at any time during the study were classified at the end of study as resolved, improved, or no change. 'No post-nasal discharge' indicates participants with no post-nasal discharge symptoms during the study period.

Treatment compliance was assessed by the study physician at each study visit. The percentage of participants who were compliant with study treatment for 6 days, 7 days and 8 days is reported.