Background: Amoxycillin/clavulanate is considered fi rst-line treatment for ambulatory exacerbations of COPD. However, narrow-spectrum antibiotics may be as useful for mild to moderate patients. Objective: To compare the clinical effi cacy of amoxycillin versus amoxicyllin/clavulanate in exacerbations of COPD in primary care. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, noninferiority clinical trial was carried out in eight primary care centers in Catalonia, Spain. Spirometrically-diagnosed patients older than 40 years with COPD, without criteria of hospitalization and Anthonisen's types I or II exacerbations were included. The main outcome was clinical cure at the end of treatment (EOT) visit on day 10. Results: A total of 137 patients were enrolled in the study (68 assigned to amoxycillin and 69 to amoxycillin/clavulanate). The mean forced expiratory fl ow in one second was 61.6% and the mean age was 71.4 years. At EOT, 92.8% of patients in the amoxycillin/clavulanate and 90.9% in the amoxycillin group were considered clinically cured, a statistically non-signifi cant difference. Adverse effects were observed in 11 subjects, 3 in the amoxycillin group and 8 in the amoxycillin/clavulanate group, 2 of whom required a change in treatment. Conclusions: Amoxycillin was at least as effective clinically and as safe as amoxycilin/ clavulanate in the treatment of acute exacerbations of COPD in mild to moderate patients in primary care.

Minoxidil was, in the seventies, introduced as an oral medication that was initially used for the treatment of hypertension, in view of its vasodilator potential - activation of the potassium channels located in the smooth muscles of the peripheral arteries, allowing the efflux of potassium so that hyperpolarization of the cell membrane and relaxation of the smooth muscles occur. However, a side effect observed by patients using this drug was hair and body hair growth. Soon, in the eighties, it was launched in the market under a new presentation: the topical version - in concentrations of 2% and, later, 5% -, aiming to be an alternative for hair loss disorders and to promote hair growth. Currently, it is the most widely used drug for the purposes described above. Thus, this work has as main objective to analyze differences, especially regarding adverse reactions, between topical and oral use - which has also been implemented, but in lower doses than the treatment for hypertension - of minoxidil, and the efficacy of the two routes of administration.

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