title: Therapeutic effect of clarithromycin for respiratory-tract infections in children caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae. Research Group of Sapporo for Pediatric Chlamydial Infections.
abstract: Children infected with Chlamydia pneumoniae sometimes experience lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Although numerous anti-microbial compounds have been reported to be active against the organism, most of them have not been in a clinical trial in infants and children with C. pneumoniae infection. Clarithromycin has been shown to express anti-chlamydial effects in vitro. In this study, we evaluated the clinical anti-C. pneumoniae properties of clarithromycin in children with mainly lower respiratory tract infection. We administered clarithromycin orally to 21 infants and children at a dose of 10-15 mg/kg/day divided into two or three doses for 4-21 days. Clinical symptoms, roentgenographic and laboratory abnormal findings improved. The overall clinical efficacy rate was 85.7% (18 of 21 cases). Administration of clarithromycin was considered to be a suitable treatment for improving lower respiratory infections in infants and children caused by C. pneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan. numazaki@sapmed.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Numazaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umetsu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Agatsuma
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kogasaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiraki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuniya
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miua
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ukae
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiba
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017291:Clarithromycin