Cefprozil versus high-dose amoxicillin/clavulanate in children with acute otitis media

The recommendation of the Drug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Therapeutic Working Group that high-dose amoxicillin, with or without clavulanate, be used to treat acute otitis media (AOM) addressed concerns about the efficacy of existing therapies against drug-resistant S. pneumoniae. This recommendation relied on pharmacodynamic predictions of concentrations of amoxicillin in middle-ear fluid remaining higher than minimum inhibitory concentrations against intermediately resistant S. pneumoniae for >40% of the dosing interval.

This study compared the tolerability and efficacy of cefprozil and high-dose amoxicillin/clavulanate in patients with AOM.

Patients were randomized to receive 10 days of investigator-blinded oral treatment with either cefprozil suspension (30 mg/kg/d in 2 divided doses) or amoxicillin/clavulanate (45/6.4 mg/kg/d) plus amoxicillin (45 mg/kg/d) in 2 divided doses. The primary efficacy end point was the clinical cure rate 4 to 7 days after the end of treatment. Clinical response by age (6 months-<2 years vs > or =2-7 years), disease severity, and unilateral versus bilateral ear infection was also examined. The primary measures of tolerability were the frequency and severity of adverse events and their relation to study drug. Adverse events were either spontaneously reported or elicited during examination and questioning of the patient. Identified adverse events were coded and recorded using the COSTART (Coding Symbols for Thesaurus of Adverse Reaction Terms) system.

Three hundred four children between the ages of 6 months and 7 years with > or =1 sign or symptom of AOM were enrolled in the study, and 303 (150 cefprozil, 153 amoxicillin/clavulanate) were treated. Twenty-three patients in each treatment group were not evaluable; thus, 257 children were included in the analysis of evaluable patients. Clinical cure rates were 87% (110/127) with cefprozil and 89% (116/130) with amoxicillin/clavulanate (95% CI for the difference in cure rate, -10.7% to 4.1%). No between-group differences in efficacy were noted by age, disease severity, or unilateral or bilateral involvement. The overall incidence of drug-related adverse events was significantly lower with cefprozil than with amoxicillin/clavulanate (19% vs 32%, respectively; P = 0.008), as was the incidence of diarrhea (9% vs 19%, respectively; P = 0.021). Adverse events prompted discontinuation of therapy in 4 (3%) cefprozil patients and 8 (5%) amoxicillin/clavulanate patients.

Based on a search of MEDLINE, this study is the first direct comparison of cefprozil versus high-dose amoxicillin/clavulanate. Cefprozil was as effective as high-dose amoxicillin/clavulanate, with a lower incidence of adverse events.