title: Clarithromycin versus azithromycin in the treatment of Mediterranean spotted fever in children: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: We conducted an open-label randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy and safety of clarithromycin (15/mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses for 7 days) with those of azithromycin (10 mg/kg/day in 1 dose for 3 days) in the treatment of children with Mediterranean spotted fever. Until now, there has not been a gold-standard therapy for this rickettsial disease in children. Eighty-seven children were randomized to receive 1 of the 2 drugs. The mean time to defervescence (+/- standard deviation) was 46.2+/-36.4 h in the clarithromycin group and 39.3+/-31.3 h in the azithromycin group. These differences were not statistically significant and both drugs were equally well-tolerated. Clarithromycin and azithromycin could be acceptable therapeutic alternatives to chloramphenicol and tetracyclines for children aged < or =8 years with Mediterranean spotted fever. Azithromycin, because it has a long half-life, offers the advantages of administration in a single daily dose and a shorter duration of therapy, which could increase compliance in children.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Patologia Infettiva e Virologia, Ospedale G. Di Cristina, Università di Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy. acascio@unime.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cascio
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colomba
authors.forename: Spinello
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antinori
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: Lucina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Titone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D020114:Rickettsia conorii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin; D017291:Clarithromycin