[Appraisal of rokitamycin in the pediatric field]

In a study of rokitamycin (RKM) dry syrup for its usefulness in pediatric infections, the following results were obtained: 1. Frequencies of RKM-resistant strains among fresh isolates from sick children were very low, and 4.4% of 68 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 4.2% of 48 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, and none of 96 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes were found to be RKM-resistant. 2. Hypo- to achlorhydria was found in 2 (3.77%) of 53 children. 3. When children were administered once orally with 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg of RKM dry syrup at fasting, mean peak values of plasma concentration were 0.25, 0.55 and 0.74 micrograms/ml with a T1/2 (beta) of 2.18, 1.97 and 2.00 hours, respectively. Urinary recovery rates during the first 0-6 hours were quite low, and values were 1.21, 1.38 and 2.23%, respectively. 4. The clinical efficacy of RKM dry syrup was studied on children chiefly with acute pneumonia, mycoplasmal pneumonia and tonsillitis. Among 379 children from whom pathogens had been determined, responses to the treatment were excellent in 186, good in 144, fair in 24, poor in 20 and unknown in 5 patients, the overall efficacy rate being 88.2%. Among all 598 treated patients, including those with undetermined pathogens, responses were excellent in 247, good in 269, fair in 42, poor in 35 and unknown in 5 patients, the efficacy rate being 87.0%. 5. The clinical efficacy of the drug in treating Chlamydia infection in 12 patients including a Chlamydia carrier and the clinical efficacy in treating Campylobacter enteritis in 36 patients were studied. All the cases showed "good" responses. Among 66 patients with mycoplasmal pneumonia, responses were excellent in 33 and good in 27 patients, with an efficacy rate of 90.9%. 6. The optimal dose of RKM dry syrup seemed to be in the range between 20 and 40 mg/kg. It appeared, however, that a dose of about 40 mg/kg would be required to eradicate the pathogen from the pharynx in S. pyogenes infection. 7. Adverse reactions to RKM dry syrup were found in 9 (1.45%) of 622 patients. The reactions were gastrointestinal symptoms except eruption occurred in 1 patient, but they were all mild. Laboratory examinations revealed eosinophilia in 19 and abnormal hepatic enzyme activities in 8 of 455 patients studied, but such abnormalities were all transient and mild.