Sultamicillin versus amoxicillin in the treatment of tonsillitis and pharyngitis: a European multicenter study

In this multicenter open, comparative study, 135 patients were treated with sultamicillin (67 subjects; 500 mg every 12 h) or amoxicillin (68 subjects; 500 mg every 8 h) for 10 d. Of the pathogens isolated pre-treatment, 24 of 29 (including 4 of 6 resistant strains) in the sultamicillin group were eradicated at the end of treatment, as were 17 of 22 in the amoxicillin group. At follow-up, the figures were 17 of 25 and 16 of 19, respectively. Clinical success was achieved in 55 of 55 sultamicillin and 40 of 43 amoxicillin patients at the end of treatment, and in 40 of 42 and 29 of 31, respectively, at follow-up. Overall success was recorded in 20 of 25 and 15 of 23 sultamicillin, and 14 of 19 and 13 of 17 amoxicillin patients at the two assessments. Side effects were reported for 21 sultamicillin patients, 1 of whom withdrew because of diarrhea, and 15 amoxicillin patients, 4 of whom withdrew because of rash. One sultamicillin and 4 amoxicillin patients developed minor abnormalities in laboratory safety parameters.