A clinical trial comparing oral azithromycin, cefixime and no antibiotics in the treatment of acute uncomplicated Salmonella enteritis in children.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to perform a prospective, randomized, controlled study to evaluate the role of azithromycin and cefixime in the treatment of uncomplicated non-typhoid Salmonella enteritis in children.


METHODS
Patients with Salmonella enteritis were randomized to receive oral azithromycin (10 mg/kg/day once daily), cefixime (10 mg/kg/day divided twice daily) or no antibiotics for 5 days. The patients were followed up for the duration of their symptoms. Stool samples were sent for culture weekly following the therapy until two consecutive negative results were obtained. Susceptibility of the isolates to antibiotics was tested by the disk diffusion method.


RESULTS
Forty-two patients with acute, uncomplicated, culture-confirmed Salmonella enteritis were studied. Duration of diarrhoea and time to defervescence after the therapy were not significantly different for patients treated with azithromycin, cefixime, or no antibiotics; there also were no significant differences with respect to the rate of clearance of Salmonella from stools among the three groups. Salmonella typhimurium was the most common serotype isolated. All 42 isolates were sensitive to cefixime, while two strains (5%) were resistant to azithromycin.


CONCLUSIONS
Azithromycin or cefixime provides no benefit to paediatric patient with uncomplicated Salmonella enteritis.
Chiu
C H
CH
Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Lin
T Y
TY
Ou
J T
JT
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020682:Cefixime; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D017963:Azithromycin; D020682:Cefixime; D002439:Cefotaxime