title: Efficacy and safety of oral cefixime therapy in common infectious diseases in children.
abstract: Twenty-nine children, including 20 boys and 9 girls, were enrolled in an open trial of oral cefixime therapy for common pediatric infectious diseases. Patients aged between 0.5 month and 12 years with a mean +/- standard deviation of 2.3 +/- 2.8 years. The diagnoses included 10 of acute otitis media, 2 of purulent rhinitis, 4 of acute enterocolitis, and 13 of urinary tract infection. Most children received 6-12 mg/kg/day of cefixime granules, orally twice daily for more than five days. All 10 cases (100%) of acute otitis media and 2 cases of purulent rhinitis were either cured, or improved by oral cefixime treatment. None of them was microbiologically evaluable. Four cases (100%) of acute enterocolitis, 3 due to Salmonella group B, one due to Shigella flexneri, were also successfully treated with bacteria eradication. However, the cure rate of 13 cases of urinary tract infection was only 85% (11/13). Seven Escherichia coli and 4 Proteus mirabilis infections were eradicated, whereas one each of Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella pneumoniae infections did not respond to treatment; these two cases had a complicated course. The overall cure and improvement rate was 93%. Although five patients had transient episodes of mild diarrhea, no significant adverse reaction was observed. In summary, oral cefixime given twice daily was effective and safe in the treatment of a variety of common infectious diseases in pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, R.O.C.
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020682:Cefixime; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000188:drug therapy; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D020682:Cefixime; D002439:Cefotaxime