A double-blind randomized trial comparing the efficacy and safety of a 5-day course of cefotiam hexetil with that of a 10-day course of penicillin V in adult patients with pharyngitis caused by group A beta-haemolytic streptococci

A 10-day course of penicillin is the antibiotic regimen currently recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) as treatment for patients with tonsillitis caused by group A beta-haemolytic streptococci (GABHS), with the aim of preventing both the suppurative and non-suppurative complications of this infection. This prospective, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy clinical trial was undertaken in order to compare the efficacy of, tolerability of and compliance with a 5-day course of cefotiam hexetil (CTM) 200 mg bd with that of a 10-day course of penicillin V (PEV) 1 megaunit (600 mg) tds, to investigate the significance of recovering GABHS during or after treatment and to evaluate the potential economic advantages of short-term regimens. Two hundred and fifty ambulatory adult patients with a presumptive diagnosis (based on a positive rapid antigen detection test) of GABHS tonsillitis were recruited in 60 centres; the diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by a positive culture of a throat swab. At the time of entry into the trial there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of clinical symptoms. In an intention-to-treat analysis, both the clinical and bacteriological response rates at days 10 and 30 were comparable for each group i.e. 106 of 119 (89.1%) patients and 90 of 109 (82.6%) patients respectively in the CTM group and 103 of 117 (88.0%) patients and 92 of 107 (86.0%) patients respectively in the PEV group. The times until defervescence and resolution of symptoms were also similar. Of the 115 patients in each group who were assessed at day 90, there were three clinical relapses in the CTM group and seven in the PEV group. No non-suppurative complications of GABHS infection were detected. Tolerance was significantly better in the CTM group than in the PEV group, 14 of 119 (11.8%) patients and 26 of 117 (22.2%) patients in the former and latter groups respectively reporting adverse events. In three cases in each group treatment was discontinued prematurely because of adverse events; none of these in the CTM group was serious but one patient in the PEV group experienced a severe allergic reaction. Compliance in both groups was good during the first 5 days of therapy but, by the end of each course, 93.6% of patients in the CTM group had completed treatment, compared with 73.0% in the PEV group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Concentrations of cefpodoxime in plasma and pleural fluid after a single oral dose of cefpodoxime proxetil

Eighteen patients of either sex with pleural effusions underwent aspiration 3, 6 or 12 h after receiving a single oral dose of cefpodoxime proxetil equivalent to 200 mg cefpodoxime. The mean concentrations of cefpodoxime in pleural fluid were, respectively, 0.62, 1.84 and 0.78 mg/l for these three time intervals, the corresponding ratios between pleural fluid and plasma concentrations being 0.24, 0.67 and 1.07. The findings indicate that there is good penetration of cefpodoxime into pleural fluid. Concentrations between 3 and 12 h after dosing were equal to or above the MIC90 for most of the organisms commonly found in lower respiratory tract infections.

Five day treatment of pharyngotonsillitis with cefpodoxime proxetil

A ten day course of oral penicillin is still recommended for pharyngotonsillitis with the aim of eradicating Streptococcus pyogenes and preventing rheumatic fever. However there is some evidence that penicillin V therapy is less satisfactory than in former years. Several explanations have been suggested, including inadequate pharmacokinetic properties, poor patient compliance, penicillin tolerance, re-infection and carrier state, and indirect pathogenicity. In this context we evaluated the efficacy of third generation cephalosporins. We have shown that a short course of five days treatment with cefpodoxime is as effective as the ten days of conventional treatment with penicillin in terms of both clinical and bacteriological efficacy. Moreover the possibility of reducing the duration of therapy and the twice daily administration of these new cephalosporins results in better patient compliance with treatment.