title: A double-blind taste comparison of pediatric antibiotic suspensions.
abstract: This study examined the palatability of 22 antimicrobial suspensions by using five independent categories for scoring: appearance, smell, texture, taste, and aftertaste. The likely overall influence on patient compliance was also evaluated. Drugs were compared within their respective classes. The only antibiotics judged to be so unpalatable as to potentially jeopardize compliance were dicloxacillin, oxacillin, erythromycin/sulfisoxazole, and cefpodoxime. Among the penicillins, amoxicillin and ampicillin were preferred. Azithromycin was slightly superior to erythromycin and clarithromycin within the macrolide class. Many cephalosporins were ranked quite high, the best being loracarbef, cefadroxyl, cefprozil, and cefixime.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, LSU School of Medicine and Children's Hospital, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Begue
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirza
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Travillion
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010372:Pediatrics; D013535:Suspensions; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013535:Suspensions