Comparative efficacy and safety of four-day cefuroxime axetil and ten-day penicillin treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis in children.

Author(s): Aujard Y, Boucot I, Brahimi N, Chiche D, Bingen E

Affiliation(s): Department of Neonatology, Robert Debre Hospital, Paris, France.

Publication date & source: 1995-04, Pediatr Infect Dis J., 14(4):295-300.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial

In a prospective randomized multicenter study, 308 children, ages 2 to 15 years, were randomized to receive either cefuroxime axetil suspension (N = 152; 20 mg/kg/day twice daily) for 4 days, penicillin suspension (N = 156; 45 mg/kg/day divided three times daily) for 10 days, of whom 97 and 103, respectively, had culture-proved group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus infection. Two to 4 days after completion of the treatment, group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus were eradicated from 85 of 97 (87.6%) children taking cefuroxime and from 90 of 103 (87.4%) taking penicillin; respective clinical cure rates were 94.8% and 96.1%. Clinical signs and symptoms resolved significantly more rapidly with cefuroxime (P < 0.05). At 28 to 32 days posttreatment the eradication of the primary isolate was confirmed in 94.4 and 91.9% of cefuroxime axetil and penicillin-treated patients, respectively. Drug-related adverse events (mainly gastrointestinal and cutaneous reactions) were reported in 2.1 and 2.7% of the cefuroxime- and penicillin-treated patients, respectively. Results indicated that a 4-day treatment with cefuroxime axetil was as effective and well-tolerated as the conventional 10-day treatment with penicillin in children with acute group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus pharyngitis.