title: Prospective open randomized study comparing efficacies and safeties of a 3-day course of azithromycin and a 10-day course of erythromycin in children with community-acquired acute lower respiratory tract infections.
abstract: The efficacies and safeties of a 3-day, 3-dose course of azithromycin (10 mg/kg of body weight per day) and a 10-day, 30-dose course of erythromycin (40 mg/kg/day) for the treatment of acute lower respiratory tract infections in children were compared in an open randomized multicenter study. Sixty-eight of 85 evaluable patients (80%) had radiologically proven pneumonia, and 20% had bronchitis. Treatment success defined as cure or major improvement was achieved in 42 of 45 (93%) azithromycin recipients versus 36 of 40 (90%) erythromycin recipients. Adverse events were reported in 12 of 45 and 6 of 40 of the patients treated with azithromycin and erythromycin, respectively, a difference which was not statistically significant. In conclusion, a 3-day course of azithromycin is as effective as a 10-day course of erythromycin in the treatment of community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections in children, with comparable safety and acceptability profiles. This shorter treatment course might have a beneficial effect on compliance, especially in the pediatric age group.
authors.affiliation: Het Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, University Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Roord
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gossens
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kimpen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin; D017963:Azithromycin