title: Twice-daily penicillin in the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis.
abstract: An investigation was performed to compare the effectiveness of oral penicillin V given twice daily with penicillin V given three times daily in the treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 250 mg of penicillin V either two or three times daily for ten days. Overall, 23 (23%) of 99 patients had the same strain of GABHS isolated from their follow-up as from their initial throat culture and were considered to have bacteriologic-treatment failures. Of the 50 patients in the three-times-daily group, nine (18%) had bacteriologic-treatment failures, while 14 (28.5%) of 49 patients in the twice-daily group had bacteriologic-treatment failures. The results of this and earlier investigations suggest that penicillin V given twice daily is as effective as penicillin V given three times daily for the treatment of GABHS pharyngitis.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000989:Antistreptolysin / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000276:immunology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010404:Penicillin V / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000989:Antistreptolysin; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; C020069:deoxyribonuclease B; D010404:Penicillin V