Is penicillin the appropriate treatment for recurrent tonsillopharyngitis? Results from a comparative randomized blind study of cefuroxime axetil and phenoxymethylpenicillin in children. The Swedish Study Group

Antibiotics for recurrent acute pharyngo-tonsillitis: systematic review

The purpose was to determine the current evidence for preferable antibiotic treatment in three common clinical situations with insufficient consensus: Q1: Can antibiotic treatment prevent future attacks of acute pharyngo-tonsillitis (APT) in patients with recurrent APT (RAPT)? Q2: Which antibiotic regimen is preferable in the treatment of APT in patients with RAPT? Q3: Which antibiotic regimen is preferable in the treatment of relapsing APT? Five databases were searched systematically for randomized clinical trials on patients with RAPT with or without current APT or with relapse of APT. Of the unique publications, 643 were found. Five studies addressing Q1 (n = 3) and Q2 (n = 2) met the eligibility criteria. No studies reporting on Q3 were included. Q1: Two studies found that clindamycin and cefpodoxime, respectively, were effective in preventing future APT episodes and in eradicating group A streptococci from the tonsils of RAPT patients. One study found that long-term azithromycin had no effect on the number of APT episodes. Q2: Two studies reported superior clinical and microbiological effects of clindamycin and amoxicillin with clavulanate, respectively, compared to penicillin. The four studies showing superior effects of clindamycin and amoxicillin with clavulanate were assessed to have high risk of bias. Hence, the level of evidence was moderate. There is considerable evidence to suggest that clindamycin and amoxicillin with clavulanate are superior to penicillin with preferable effects on the microbiological flora and the number of future attacks of APT in patients with RAPT. Antibiotic treatment is an option in patients with RAPT, who has contraindications for tonsillectomy.

Management of children with persistent group A streptococcal carriage

INTRODUCTION

Chronic GAS carrier state is best defined as the prolonged presence of group A β-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) in the pharynx without evidence of infection or inflammation. Chronic GAS carriers have a low risk of immune mediated complications. Persistent pharyngeal carriage often raises management issues. In this study, we review the evidence on the management of persistent GAS carriage in children and propose a management algorithm. Areas covered: Chronic GAS pharyngeal carriage is quite common affecting 10-20% of school-aged children. Pathogenesis of carriage has been related to the pharynx microflora and to special properties of GAS, but several aspects are yet to be elucidated. Management greatly depends on whether the individual child belongs to a 'high-risk' group and might benefit from eradication regimens or not, when observation-only and reassurance are enough. Penicillin plus rifampin and clindamycin monotherapy have been recommended for eradication; limited evidence of effectiveness of azithromycin has been reported. Surgical intervention is not indicated. Expert commentary: GAS infection is a common reason for antibiotic use and abuse in children and asymptomatic carriers constitute the major reservoir of GAS in the community. Several aspects are yet to be elucidated and well-designed studies are needed for firm conclusions to be drawn.

Treatment Challenges of Group A Beta-hemolytic Streptococcal Pharyngo-Tonsillitis

Introduction  Despite its in vitro efficacy, penicillin often fails to eradicate Group A β-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) from patients with acute and relapsing pharyngo-tonsillitis (PT). Objective  This review of the literature details the causes of penicillin failure to eradicate GABHS PT and the therapeutic modalities to reduce and overcome antimicrobial failure. Data Synthesis  The causes of penicillin failure in eradicating GABHS PT include the presence of β lactamase producing bacteria (BLPB) that "protect" GABHS from any penicillin; the absence of bacteria that interfere with the growth of GABHS; co-aggregation between GABHS and Moraxella catarrhalis; and the poor penetration of penicillin into the tonsillar tissues and the tonsillo-pharyngeal cells, which allows intracellular GABHS and Staphylococcus aureus to survive. The inadequate intracellular penetration of penicillin can allow intracellular GABHS and S. aureus to persist. In the treatment of acute tonsillitis, the use of cephalosporin can overcome these interactions by eradicating aerobic BLPB (including M. catarrhalis), while preserving the potentially interfering organisms and eliminating GABHS. Conclusion  In treatment of recurrent and chronic PT, the administration of clindamycin, or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, can eradicate both aerobic and anaerobic BLPB, as well as GABHS. The superior intracellular penetration of cephalosporin and clindamycin also enhances their efficacy against intracellular GABHS and S. aureus.

Comparative Study of 5-Day and 10-Day Cefditoren Pivoxil Treatments for Recurrent Group A beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus pharyngitis in Children

Efficacy of short-course therapy with cephalosporins for treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis is still controversial. Subjects were 226 children with a history of at least one episode of GABHS pharyngitis. Recurrence within the follow-up period (3 weeks after initiation of therapy) occurred in 7 of the 77 children in the 5-day treatment group and in 1 of the 149 children in the 10-day treatment group; the incidence of recurrence being significantly higher in the 5-day treatment group. Bacteriologic treatment failure (GABHS isolation without overt pharyngitis) at follow-up culture was observed in 7 of the 77 children in the 5-day treatment group and 17 of the 149 children in the 10-day treatment group. There was no statistical difference between the two groups. A 5-day course of oral cephalosporins is not always recommended for treatment of GABHS pharyngitis in children who have repeated episodes of pharyngitis.

Frequency of symptomatic relapses of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis in children from 4 pediatric practices following penicillin, amoxicillin, and cephalosporin antibiotic treatment

The objective was to determine the frequency of early symptomatic relapses following antibiotic treatment for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillopharyngitis in children from Rochester, New York; Houston, Texas; Spokane, Washington; and Los Angeles, California (2004--2006). The study included 4278 patients. The proportion with a bacteriologic relapse of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis within 1 to 5 days of completing a 10-day treatment course was 8% (penicillin and bicillin), 6% (amoxicillin), 2% (first-generation cephalosporin), and 1% (second-generation and third-generation cephalosporin; P = .0001); symptomatic relapses occurred within 6 to 20 days after completion of therapy in 16%, 14%, 9%, and 7% of cases (P = .0001). Cases from New York and Washington had higher penicillin or amoxicillin failure rates than cases from Texas and California. The frequency of symptomatic relapses of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis, therefore, differs according to the antibiotic treatment selected; the trend for such relapses being penicillin or amoxicillin > cephalosporins although geographic differences may occur.

Overcoming penicillin failures in the treatment of Group A streptococcal pharyngo-tonsillitis

The causes of penicillin failure in eradicating Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngo-tonsillitis (GABHS PT) are described. These include the presence of beta-lactamase producing bacteria that "protect" Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) from penicillins; the absence of bacteria that interfere with the growth of GABHS; co-aggregation between GABHS and Moraxella catarrhalis; and the poor penetration of penicillin into the tonsillar tissues and the tonsillo-pharyngeal cells. The use of antimicrobials that can overcome and modulate these phenomena and achieve better cure of the infection is described.

The evidence base for cephalosporin superiority over penicillin in streptococcal pharyngitis

Current treatment guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Heart Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend only oral penicillin V or intramuscular benzathine penicillin G as the drugs of choice for treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis. Ten-day treatment courses with 1st-generation oral cephalosporins or erythromycin are recommended as suitable alternatives in patients who are allergic to penicillin. Despite these recommendations, oral cephalosporins are used as drugs of choice for many patients with GABHS pharyngitis. Simpler and/or short-course regimens of cephalosporins that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration offer alternatives with the potential for unchanged patient compliance. Increasing cephalosporin use in patients with GABHS pharyngitis has followed from numerous reports and metaanalyses of cephalosporin superiority over penicillin for bacteriologic eradication and clinical response. This review examines the evidence supporting the use of cephalosporins as a first choice of treatment for many patients with GABHS pharyngitis.

Comparison of European and U.S. results for cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis

The outcome of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis may differ between Europe and the USA. In the present study, Medline, Embase, reference lists, and abstract searches were used to identify randomized, controlled trials of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal (GAS) tonsillopharyngitis. The outcomes of interest were bacteriologic and clinical cure rates from investigations conducted in Europe versus those conducted in the USA. Forty-seven trials involving 11,426 patients were included in the meta-analyses. For the comparison of 10 days of treatment with cephalosporins versus 10 days of treatment with penicillin, there were ten European and 25 U.S. trials, all involving pediatric subjects. The overall odds ratio (OR) favored cephalosporins more strongly in bacteriologic cure rate in Europe (OR=4.27, p<0.00001) than in the USA (OR=2.70, p<0.00001). Studies of 4-5 days of cephalosporin treatment versus 10 days of penicillin treatment were also analyzed. For nine European trials, the OR significantly favored cephalosporins (OR=1.30, p=0.03) in bacteriologic cure rates, but not as strongly as in the USA, (OR=2.41, p<0.00001). When results for 4-5 days of cephalosporin treatment were divided into pediatric versus adult populations, the differences in bacteriologic eradication rates obtained with cephalosporins were more pronounced in children. The likelihood of bacteriologic and clinical failure of GAS tonsillopharyngitis treatment in both European and U.S. patients is significantly less if a 10-day course of oral cephalosporin is prescribed, and is at least similar, if not significantly less, with a 4- to 5-day course of oral cephalosporin compared with a 10-day course of oral penicillin.

Meta-analysis of Cephalosporins versus Penicillin for Treatment of Group A Streptococcal Tonsillopharyngitis in Adults

We conducted a meta-analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials (involving 2113 patients) comparing cephalosporins with penicillin for treatment of group A beta -hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillopharyngitis in adults. The summary odds ratio (OR) for bacteriologic cure rate significantly favored cephalosporins, compared with penicillin (OR,1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-2.44); the bacteriologic failure rate was nearly 2 times higher for penicillin therapy than it was for cephalosporin therapy (P=.00004). The summary OR for clinical cure rate was 2.29 (95% CI, 1.61-3.28), significantly favoring cephalosporins (P<.00001). Sensitivity analyses for bacterial cure significantly favored cephalosporins over penicillin in trials that were double-blinded and of high quality, trials that had a well-defined clinical status, trials that performed GABHS serotyping, trials that eliminated carriers from analysis, and trials that had a test-of-cure culture performed 3-14 days after treatment. This meta-analysis indicates that the likelihood of bacteriologic and clinical failure in the treatment of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis is 2 times higher for oral penicillin than for oral cephalosporins.

Meta-analysis of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis in children

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillopharyngitis in children.

METHODOLOGY

Medline, Embase, reference lists, and abstract searches were conducted to identify randomized, controlled trials of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis in children. Trials were included if they met the following criteria: patients <18 years old, bacteriologic confirmation of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis, random assignment to antibiotic therapy of an orally administered cephalosporin or penicillin for 10 days of treatment, and assessment of bacteriologic outcome using a throat culture after therapy. Primary outcomes of interest were bacteriologic and clinical cure rates. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the impact of careful clinical illness descriptions, compliance monitoring, GABHS serotyping, exclusion of GABHS carriers, and timing of the test-of-cure visit.

RESULTS

Thirty-five trials involving 7125 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The overall summary odds ratio (OR) for the bacteriologic cure rate significantly favored cephalosporins compared with penicillin (OR: 3.02; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.49-3.67, with the individual cephalosporins [cephalexin, cefadroxil, cefuroxime, cefpodoxime, cefprozil, cefixime, ceftibuten, and cefdinir] showing superior bacteriologic cure rates). The overall summary OR for clinical cure rate was 2.33 (95% CI: 1.84-2.97), significantly favoring the same individual cephalosporins. There was a trend for diminishing bacterial cure with penicillin over time, comparing the trials published in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Sensitivity analyses for bacterial cure significantly favored cephalosporin treatment over penicillin treatment when trials were grouped as double-blind (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.39-3.85), high-quality (OR: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.85-3.36) trials with well-defined clinical status (OR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.54-2.90), with detailed compliance monitoring (OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 2.33-3.47), with GABHS serotyping (OR: 3.10; 95% CI: 2.42-3.98), with carriers eliminated (OR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.55-4.08), and with test of cure 3 to 14 days posttreatment (OR: 3.53; 95% CI: 2.75-4.54). Analysis of comparative bacteriologic cure rates for the 3 generations of cephalosporins did not show a difference.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis indicates that the likelihood of bacteriologic and clinical failure of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis is significantly less if an oral cephalosporin is prescribed, compared with oral penicillin.

Efficacy of cephalexin two vs. three times daily vs. cefadroxil once daily for streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis

The purpose of this study was to compare the bacteriologic and clinical efficacy of oral cephalexin twice vs. three times daily vs. cefadroxil once daily as therapy for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillopharyngitis. A prospective open-label, observational cohort study was conducted over 18 months (January 2000-June 2001). Children enrolled had an acute onset of symptoms and signs of a tonsillopharyngeal illness and a laboratory-documented GABHS infection. Follow-up examination and laboratory testing occurred 21 +/- 4 days following enrollment. Two hundred seventy-one patients were enrolled (intent to treat group): 63 received cephalexin twice daily, 124 received cephalexin three times daily, and 84 received cefadroxil once daily. Fifty-three children did not return for the follow-up visit, leaving 218 patients in the per-protocol group: 54 cephalexin twice-daily treated, 94 cephalexin 3-times daily treated, and 70 cefadroxil once-daily treated. In the per-protocol group, bacteriologic cure for those treated with cephalexin twice daily was 87%, for cephalexin 3 times daily, it was 81% and for cefadroxil once daily it was 81% (p = 0.61). The clinical cure rate for cephalexin twice-daily treatment was 91%; for three-times daily, it was 86%; and for cefadroxil once daily, it was 84% (p = 0.56). Because treatment allocation was not randomized, logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for treatment group differences. Younger age of patient was significantly associated with bacteriologic (p = 0.04) and clinical (p = 0.01) failure independent of treatment group but in the adjusted logistic model no differences were found among the 3 treatment regimens. Cephalexin dosed twice daily or three times daily and cefadroxil dosed once daily appear equivalent in bacteriologic and clinical cure of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis.

Efficacy of penicillin vs. amoxicillin in children with group A beta hemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis

The purpose of this study was to compare the bacteriologic and clinical efficacy of oral penicillin versus amoxicillin as first-line therapy for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillopharyngitis. The prospective observational study was conducted over 18 months (January 2000-June 2001). Children enrolled had acute onset of symptoms and signs and a laboratory-documented GABHS tonsillopharyngitis illness. Follow-up examination and laboratory testing occurred 10 +/- 4 days following completion of treatment. In total, 389 patients were enrolled (intent-to-treat group): 195 received penicillin V and 194 received amoxicillin. Fifty-six of the penicillin-treated and 57 amoxicillin-treated patients refused to take the drug, or were noncompliant, or did not return for the follow-up visit, leaving 276 patients in the per-protocol group: 139 penicillin-treated and 137 amoxicillin-treated. Bacteriologic cure for amoxicillin-treated children occurred in 76% versus 64% in the penicillin-treated children (p = 0.04). The clinical cure rate for amoxicillin-treated children was 84% compared to 73% in the penicillin-treated children (p = 0.03). Since treatment allocation was not randomized, logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for treatment group differences. The odds ratio (OR) estimate for cure for patients in the amoxicillin versus penicillin V treatment group remained significant (OR = 1.84, 95% confidence interval 1.02-3.29); the same was true for dinical cure (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.02-3.87). Amoxicillin may be superior to penicillin for bacteriologic and clinical cure of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis.

Cefuroxime axetil: an updated review of its use in the management of bacterial infections

Cefuroxime axetil, a prodrug of the cephalosporin cefuroxime, has proven in vitro antibacterial activity against several gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, including those most frequently associated with various common community-acquired infections. In numerous randomised, controlled trials, 5 to 10 days' treatment with oral cefuroxime axetil (250 or 500 mg twice daily) was an effective treatment in patients with upper (URTI) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) as assessed by clinical and bacteriological criteria. The drug was as effective as several other cephalosporins, quinolones, macrolides and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Shorter courses (5 to 10 days') of cefuroxime axetil were at least as effective as a 10 day course. Furthermore, sequential therapy with intravenous cefuroxime (750 mg 2 or 3 times daily for 2 to 5 days) followed by oral cefuroxime axetil (500 mg twice daily for 3 to 8 days) proved an effective treatment in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This approach provided similar efficacy to intravenous ampicillin/sulbactam followed by oral amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, a full parenteral course of cefuroxime, or intravenous then oral azithromycin or clarithromycin. Additionally, cefuroxime axetil was an effective treatment in patients with genitourinary, skin and soft-tissue infections, and erythema migrans associated with early stage Lyme disease. The drug is well tolerated by adult and paediatric patients, with adverse effects that are consistent with those of other cephalosporins. The majority of adverse events (primarily gastrointestinal disturbances) were mild to moderate in intensity and reversible upon discontinuation of treatment, with very few serious adverse events reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Cefuroxime axetil is a broad spectrum antibacterial agent with a pharmacokinetic profile that permits convenient twice-daily administration. The drug is an effective and well tolerated treatment in patients with various infections, including otitis media, pharyngitis, sinusitis, CAP and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Cefuroxime axetil proved effective as a component of intravenous/oral sequential therapy in the treatment of CAP, although there are currently no dosage recommendations available for this regimen in some countries. Cefuroxime axetil may be considered as an empirical therapy for a range of community-acquired infections, including those in which beta-lactamase-producing strains of common respiratory pathogens are identified as the causative organisms. In an era of rapidly emerging bacterial resistance, empirical treatment with bacterial agents, potentially preventing the emergence of bacterial resistance to agents such as cefuroxime axetil may ensure the appropriate use of newer antibacterial agents, potentially preventing the emergence of bacterial resistance to these newer drugs.

Etiology and Management of Acute and Recurrent Group A Streptococcal Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is one of the most prevalent infections in children and adolescents. The etiologic agents might be viral or bacterial. About 30% of cases are reported to be of bacterial origin, mainly due to group A Streptococcus (GAS). Although in most instances GAS tonsillitis is a self-limited disease, antibiotic treatment is recommended, mainly to prevent the suppurative and nonsuppurative poststreptococcal sequelae of acute rheumatic fever and to prevent glomerulonephritis. In this paper we review the current knowledge of the etiology of acute and recurrent GAS tonsillitis, with special emphasis on a recent hypothesis regarding the etiology of bacterial eradication failure. While penicillin V remains the drug of choice for acute tonsillitis, other antibiotics are being approved and recommended for particular indications in both Europe and the United States.

Penicillin failure in streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis: causes and remedies

Penicillin administered for 10 days has been the treatment of choice for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis since the 1950s. The bacteriologic failure rate of 10 days of penicillin therapy ranged from approximately 2 to 10% until the early 1970s. Beginning in the late 1970s bacteriologic and clinical failure rates with penicillin therapy began to increase steadily over time and are now reported to be approximately 30%. The primary cause of penicillin treatment failure in streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis may be lack of compliance with the 10-day therapeutic regimen. Other causes of penicillin treatment failure include reexposure to Streptococcus-infected family members or peers; copathogenicity, in which bacteria susceptible to a class of drugs are protected by other, colocalized bacterial strains that lack the same susceptibility; antibiotic-associated eradication of normal protective pharyngeal flora; and penicillin tolerance, whereby streptococcal bacteria repeatedly or continuously exposed to sublethal concentrations of antibiotic become increasingly resistant to eradication. Although 10 days of penicillin therapy is effective in the management of tonsillopharyngitis for many patients, multiple factors may, singly or together, cause treatment failure. A number of antibiotics, particularly the cephalosporins, have been demonstrated to be superior to penicillin at eradicating group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, and several are effective when administered for 4 to 5 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Ten days of penicillin therapy may not be the best therapeutic choice for all pediatric patients. Other antibiotics, shortened courses of the cephalosporins in particular, may be preferable in some cases.

Comparison of cefdinir and penicillin for the treatment of pediatric streptococcal pharyngitis

This multicenter, randomized, controlled, investigator-masked study was performed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of cefdinir for the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis. Children aged 1 through 12 years with signs and symptoms of pharyngitis and a positive result on a rapid screening test for Streptococcus pyogenes were randomly assigned to receive cefdinir 14 mg/kg QD, cefdinir 7 mg/kg BID, or penicillin V 10 mg/kg 4 times daily for 10 days. Seven hundred ninety-two patients were enrolled, and 682 were clinically and microbiologically assessable. All treatment groups had similar demographic characteristics (-50.0% male, predominantly white, median age 7 years). The eradication rates of S pyogenes, determined 4 to 9 days after completion of therapy, were 94.3% in the cefdinir QD group, 94.3% in the cefdinir BID group, and 70.0% in the penicillin V group (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.6%-30.9%, P < 0.001 for cefdinir QD vs penicillin; CI 17.5%-30.9%, P < 0.001 for cefdinir BID vs penicillin). Clinical cure rates were 97.4%, 96.0%, and 86.3% for the cefdinir QD, cefdinir BID, and penicillin groups, respectively (CI 6.1%-15.9%, P = 0.001 for cefdinir QD vs penicillin; CI 4.6%-14.8%, P = 0.001 for cefdinir BID vs penicillin). Adverse reactions occurred in 8.3%, 8.7%, and 7.6% of cefdinir QD, cefdinir BID, and penicillin patients, respectively (P = NS). Treatment with cefdinir, either QD or BID, was associated with higher eradication rates of S pyogenes and higher clinical cure rates. Both cefdinir and penicillin were well tolerated. Three patients, 1 receiving cefdinir BID and 2 receiving penicillin, discontinued the study drug because of adverse reactions.

Five-day cefdinir treatment for streptococcal pharyngitis. Cefdinir Pharyngitis Study Group

A multicenter, randomized, controlled, investigator-blind study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral cefdinir versus oral penicillin V for the treatment of pharyngitis due to group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS). Patients 13 years of age and older were randomized to receive either oral cefdinir (300 mg twice a day) for 5 days followed by placebo for 5 days or oral penicillin V (250 mg four times a day) for 10 days. Throat cultures were obtained, and signs and symptoms of pharyngitis were recorded at study admission and follow-up visits on study days 11 to 15, 16 to 20, and 25 to 31. Patients kept a diary to record medication intake and their assessment of throat pain at admission and at each day of study treatment. Five hundred fifty-eight patients were enrolled, of whom 432 (77.4%) were clinically and microbiologically evaluable. The GABHS eradication rates 5 to 10 days after completion of therapy were 193 of 218 (88.5%) in the cefdinir group and 176 of 214 (82.2%) in the penicillin group (P = 0.053). Clinical cure rates were 89.0 and 84.6%, respectively (P = 0.80). By the time of the long-term follow-up visit, 2 to 3 weeks after completion of treatment, 156 of 191 (81.7%) of the assessable cefdinir patients and 152 of 195 (77.9%) of the penicillin patients remained free of GABHS. Both treatments were well tolerated, with adverse reaction rates of 18.3% in the cefdinir study arm and 15.0% in the penicillin study arm (P = 0.278). Five-day treatment with cefdinir is safe and effective therapy for GABHS pharyngitis. Based on its twice-a-day dosage and shorter course of therapy, leading to potentially greater patient compliance, cefdinir may be considered for use in the treatment of pharyngitis caused by GABHS.

Loracarbef versus phenoxymethylpenicillin in the treatment of recurrent streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis

Knowledge of the treatment of recurrent group A streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis has, so far, been based on studies of non-recurrent rather than recurrent episodes of the disease. This multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial was designed to compare the efficacy of loracarbef (200 mg twice daily) vs phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V) (800/1000 mg twice daily) each for 10 days in the treatment of recurrent group A streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis. Among the 331 patients enrolled in the study, 265 were evaluable for efficacy. The combined clinical and bacteriological failure rate was 8.2% in the loracarbef group and 21.5% in the penicillin V group (p = 0.008). Bacterial eradication was noted in 90% of loracarbef-treated patients compared to 66% of penicillin V-treated patients (p < 0.0005). The higher bacteriological eradication and clinical efficacy rate among loracarbef patients might be related to higher stability of loracarbef in the presence of beta-lactamases produced by the oral microflora. These results suggest loracarbef to be a strong candidate for treatment of patients with recurrent group A streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis.

Cefuroxime axetil. A review of its antibacterial activity, pharmacokinetic properties and therapeutic efficacy

Cefuroxime axetil is an oral cephalosporin which is rapidly hydrolysed to the active parent compound, cefuroxime. Cefuroxime has a broad spectrum of in vitro antibacterial activity which encompasses methicillin-sensitive staphylococci and the common respiratory pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis and group A beta-haemolytic streptococci. Cefuroxime has broad spectrum activity against the beta-lactamase positive respiratory pathogens H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis; it is also active against penicillin-susceptible and -intermediate strains of S. pneumoniae. In clinical trials, cefuroxime axetil (administered twice daily) has been evaluated in the treatment of upper and lower respiratory tract infections and has demonstrated similar efficacy to established antibacterial agents, including amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cefaclor. Five days' treatment with cefuroxime axetil was recently shown to be as effective as 10 days' treatment with either cefuroxime axetil or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid in patients with acute otitis media or acute bronchitis. Cefuroxime axetil was at least as effective as phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V) in the treatment of patients with group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis. A number of studies have evaluated the efficacy of cefuroxime axetil as the oral component of intravenous to oral sequential therapy in hospitalised patients with lower respiratory tract infection. In each study patients received parenteral cefuroxime for approximately 2 days followed by cefuroxime axetil for 5 to 10 days. In comparative studies, cefuroxime sequential therapy was as effective as amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid sequential therapy and full courses of parenteral cefuroxime, cefotiam or cefoperazone. Adults with urinary tract infections and skin infections were also effectively treated with cefuroxime axetil, as were adults and adolescents with early stage lyme disease. Cefuroxime axetil is associated with a low incidence of adverse events, with gastrointestinal disturbances being the most frequently observed. Thus, cefuroxime axetil is an effective and convenient treatment for a wide range of infections and may be considered a therapeutic option when empirical treatment of community-acquired infections is required. Moreover, given the promising results of several intravenous/oral sequential treatment studies, cefuroxime axetil may also become established as an oral component of sequential treatment regimens.