Effectiveness of ampicillin and combination of penicillin and chloramphenicol in the treatment of pneumonias: randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of ampicillin and a combination of benzyl penicillin and chloramphenicol in the treatment of pneumonias.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Tertiary care hospital.


METHODS
Patients 5 months to 4 years old with pneumonias of < 2 weeks duration. Exclusion criteria included acute bronchiolitis, allergy to penicillin, postmeasles pneumonia or prior administration of trial antibiotics in full dose for more than 2 days.


METHODS
Patients were randomized to receive either ampicillin (100 mg/kg/day) or combination of benzyl penicillin (100,000 units/kg/day) and chloramphenicol (100 mg/kg/day). The outcome measure was cure rate.


RESULTS
There were 52 and 49 patients in the ampicillin and the combination groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics between groups except, nasal flare and cyanosis which were less in benzyl penicillin plus chloramphenicol group. There was also no difference either in the primary outcome, cure rate or secondary outcomes (days for cure, duration of tachypnea, fever and grunt) in the two.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the potential toxicity of chloramphenicol and the number of injections and doses to be given for the combination, ampicillin as a single drug could be preferred for the treatment of pneumonias, in this part of the country.
Deivanayagam
N
N
Advanced Center for Clinical Epidemiological Research and Training (ACCERT), Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Madras Medical College.
Nedunchelian
K
K
Ashok
T P
TP
Mala
N
N
Sheela
D
D
Rathnam
S R
SR
D000667:Ampicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010406:Penicillins; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D000667:Ampicillin