title: Simplification and improvement of height-based azithromycin treatment for paediatric trachoma.
abstract: Recent data showing that azithromycin is safe at higher dosages than previously documented provide an opportunity to explore several important improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of height-based treatment of paediatric trachoma. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of a single standardised schedule for application in any trachoma-endemic region. Data for 60813 children from Asia, North and sub-Saharan Africa were analysed. A height schedule maximizing the number of children receiving treatment of 20-40 mg/kg, a conservative estimate of the safe and effective treatment range for paediatric trachoma, was developed. Using the standardised schedule, 97.7% of children aged 6 to 59 months receiving oral suspension and 96.7% of children aged 60 months to 15 years receiving tablets would have received treatment within a dosage range of 20-40 mg/kg. Less than 1% of all children would have received treatment less than 20 mg/kg. These findings suggest that the schedule presented in this paper is likely to yield safe and effective treatment for a broad range of populations vulnerable to trachoma while substantially improving the efficiency of height-based treatment.
authors.affiliation: International Trachoma Initiative, 441 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1101, New York, NY 10017-3910, USA. ebasilion@aol.com
authors.forename: Eva V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Basilion
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kilima
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mecaskey
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D014141:Trachoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin