Comparison of cefatrizine and erythromycin for pediatric ear, nose, and throat infections
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Cefatrizine effectively treated pediatric ear, nose, and throat infections, showing high cure rates whether given once or twice daily. This cephalosporin demonstrated superior efficacy compared to erythromycin in the study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Antibiotic Therapy
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Acute infections of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) are common in children.
- Evaluating effective antibiotic treatments for pediatric ENT infections is crucial for optimal patient outcomes.
- Cefatrizine and erythromycin are commonly used antibiotics for such infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of cefatrizine administered once daily versus twice daily against erythromycin for treating acute pediatric ENT infections.
- To assess cure rates, symptom abatement, and side effects associated with cefatrizine and erythromycin treatments.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving children with acute ENT infections.
- Treatment groups received cefatrizine (75 mg/kg/day, once or twice daily) or erythromycin (50 mg/kg/day, three divided doses).
- Clinical evaluation included temperature monitoring, symptom assessment, and determination of cure, improvement, or failure.
Main Results:
- Cefatrizine demonstrated high efficacy: 100% cure rate when given once daily and 80% when given twice daily.
- Erythromycin achieved a 40% cure rate, with the remaining patients showing improvement.
- Cefatrizine was generally well-tolerated, with only one case of mild diarrhea reported.
Conclusions:
- Cefatrizine is a highly effective treatment for acute pediatric ENT infections, with comparable efficacy in once-daily and twice-daily dosing regimens.
- Once-daily cefatrizine offers a promising therapeutic option, warranting further investigation.
- Cefatrizine appears to be a safe and effective alternative to erythromycin for this patient population.
Abstract:
A comparison was made of cefatrizine in dosages of 75 mg/kg/day administered once daily or twice daily and erythromycin in a mean daily dosage of 50 mg/kg given in three divided doses for the treatment of acute infections of the ear, nose, and throat in children. Temperature was recorded twice a day during therapy. At the end of treatment, a clinical evaluation of cure, improvement, or failure was made, based on defervescence and abatement of symptoms. All ten children given cefatrizine once daily were cured (P less than or equal to 0.05), as were eight of ten given cefatrizine twice daily and four of ten given erythromycin. The remaining eight patients were improved. One patient given cefatrizine had diarrhea, which appeared on the fifth day of treatment. No other side effects were observed. Cefatrizine appeared to be similarly effective whether given once a day or twice a day; further trials are warranted to confirm the efficacy of once-daily treatment with this cephalosporin.