Comparative evaluation of cefadroxil and cephalexin in children and adolescents with pyodermas. Cefadroxil Once Daily...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Dermatology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Pyodermas are common bacterial skin infections in children and adolescents.
• Gram-positive pathogens, primarily Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, are frequent causative agents.
• Standard treatment often involves cephalosporins, with varying dosing regimens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the safety and efficacy of cefadroxil versus cephalexin for treating pyodermas in pediatric patients.
• To evaluate bacteriologic and clinical response rates between the two antibiotic treatments.
• To assess medication compliance and adverse events associated with different dosing frequencies.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, multicenter study involving children and adolescents aged 1-18 years.
• Cefadroxil administered as a single daily dose (30 mg/kg) versus cephalexin in divided doses (30 mg/kg/day).
• Evaluations included clinical and bacteriologic assessments during and after a 10-day treatment course.

Main Results:

• Cefadroxil showed a statistically greater bacteriologic response (96% vs. 89%; P = 0.042).
• Overall effective response was significantly higher with cefadroxil (94% vs. 86%; P = 0.024).
• Medication compliance was markedly better with once-daily cefadroxil (95% completion) than twice-daily cephalexin (65% completion; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

• Once-daily cefadroxil is a more effective treatment for pediatric pyodermas caused by gram-positive pathogens than twice-daily cephalexin.
• Improved compliance associated with the single-dose regimen likely contributes to enhanced treatment outcomes.
• Both antibiotics were generally safe and well-tolerated, with infrequent, mild adverse events.