Treatments with once-daily trovafloxacin (200 or 100 mg) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (500/125 mg three times daily) were compared in adults with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive bronchitis. At end of treatment, 95% (113/119) of clinically evaluable patients receiving trovafloxacin 200 mg, 98% (113/115) of patients treated with trovafloxacin 100 mg and 97% (113/117) of patients receiving amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were cured or improved. At study end, 91%, 87% and 88%, respectively, were cured or improved. At end of treatment, trovafloxacin 200 mg eradicated Haemophilus influenzae in 97% of patients, Streptococcus pneumoniae in 90% and Chlamydia pneumoniae in 100%. The respective eradication rates for trovafloxacin 100 mg were 84%, 100% and 100%; those for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were 92%, 100% and 100%. At study end, trovafloxacin 200 mg totally eradicated all three pathogens. Trovafloxacin 100 mg eradicated Haemophilus influenzae in 91% of patients, Streptococcus pneumoniae in 100% and Chlamydia pneumoniae in 80%. Respective eradication rates for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were 78%, 100% and 80%. Only 7% (10/144) of patients receiving trovafloxacin 200 mg reported treatment-related adverse events, as did 7% (10/135) of patients given trovafloxacin 100 mg and 12% (17/140) of patients given amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.