title: A multi-centre general practice comparison of a fixed-dose combination of pivmecillinam plus pivampicillin with amoxycillin in respiratory tract infections.
abstract: Seven-day courses of either 200 mg pivmecillinam plus 250 mg pivampicillin given twice daily or 250 mg amoxycillin given 3-times daily were compared in a multi-centre general practice study in 350 patients with symptoms of upper or lower respiratory tract infection. Patients were stratified into four diagnostic groups: sinusitis, otitis media, throat infections, and acute bronchitis, and randomly allocated to treatment within these groups. Assessments at 7 days showed no difference in overall clinical efficacy between the two treatments; however, patients with acute bronchitis showed a better response to pivmecillinam plus pivampicillin. After treatment, signs of infection were absent in 139 (79%) patients in the pivmecillinam plus pivampicillin group and in 143 (80%) patients in the amoxycillin group. Both treatments were well tolerated, adverse effects being reported in only 17 (9.8%) patients after pivmecillinam plus pivampicillin and 15 (8.6%) patients after amoxycillin. These were mainly associated with disturbances of the gastro-intestinal tract where reports of diarrhoea were twice as common after amoxycillin.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000560:Amdinocillin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000561:Amdinocillin Pivoxil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010917:Pivampicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010917:Pivampicillin; D000561:Amdinocillin Pivoxil; D000667:Ampicillin; D000658:Amoxicillin; D000560:Amdinocillin