Aetiology of acute pharyngitis and clinical response to empirical therapy with erythromycin versus amoxicillin

One hundred and eighty-nine adults with acute pharyngitis had culture and serological evaluation for group A beta haemolytic streptococci (GABHS), Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Branhamella catarrhalis. Sixteen patients had evidence for infection with GABHS, none for M. pneumoniae, and one for B. catarrhalis. For those with GABHS, there was no significant difference between empirical treatment by erythromycin or amoxicillin. For those without GABHS, empirical treatment with erythromycin appeared to result in a statistically significant reduction in cough and a noticeable but less than significant reduction of other symptoms when compared to empirical treatment with amoxicillin. The new formulation of erythromycin utilized in this study (PCE) may be associated with a reduction in gastrointestinal intolerance from that reported with other erythromycin products.