If this is not your name, click here.
| | If this is not your name, click here. | | |
| | Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague | | |
| |  ICC: Cefixime Effective Treatment For Recurrent Tonsillitis In Adults By Pamela A Hunter Special to DG News AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS -- July 2, 2001 -- Cefixime is effective in the treatment of recurrent tonsillitis in adults. This was the finding of a study presented at the 22nd International Congress of Chemotherapy, held here, July 1st-3rd, 2001. Acute tonsillitis is normally caused by group A beta-haemolytic streptococci and is usually treated with penicillin V for 10 days. Since this organism can cause complications if not treated adequately, it is important that the antibiotic has good activity against streptococci. Short course treatments of cephalosporins (for example cefpodoxime-proxetil) have also been shown to be effective in tonsillitis. Recurrent tonsillitis is more likely to involve organisms other than Group A streptococci, and may include beta-lactamase producing organisms not susceptible to penicillin V. In this situation, a cephalosporin could be of value. The results of a multicentre, open, randomised study in French centres compared the activity of cefixime with that of cefpodoxime proxetil in the treatment of recurrent tonsillitis. Patients had had at least three episodes of tonsillitis in one year or more than five episodes in two consecutive years and had fever at entry to the trial, plus other signs of tonsillitis. Cefixime (400 mg once daily) was given for four days and the comparator group was given cefpodoxime proxetil (200 mg twice daily) for five days. Two hundred and fifty patients were treated with cefixime and 261 with cefpodoxime. The average age was 33 and 32 years respectively, with 63-64 percent of the patients being female. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 48.3 percent of the patients, the predominant organisms isolated were Group A beta-haemolytic streptococci and other beta-haemolytic streptococci. Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Staphylococcus aureus were also isolated. Patients were examined at the end of treatment (day 6-9) and at a follow-up visit on day 30. The examination included the collection of a throat specimen for bacteriological culture. The bacterial success at the end of treatment was 82.7 percent (86/104) for cefixime and 77.1 percent (84/109) for cefpodoxime. The clinical success rate at the end of treatment was 90.6 percent (211/233) for cefixime and 96.3 percent (231/240) for cefpodoxime. At follow-up the figures were 95.6 percent and 93.1 percent respectively. These results indicate that cefixime and cefpodoxime proxetil have similar efficacy in the treatment of recurrent tonsillitis. The shorter course and once-daily dosing regimen of cefixime may offer advantages in compliance.
|
