title: [Clinical efficacy and tolerability of short course therapy with cefaclor compared with long-term therapy for treatment of acute otitis media in children].
abstract: Clinical efficacy and tolerability of two different regimens of cefaclor were studied in 410 paediatric patients affected by non-recurrent acute otitis media (AOM). 204 patients were randomly treated with cefaclor given at the dosage of 50 mg/kg/die in two doses for 5 days; 206 patients with 40 mg/kg/die in two doses for 10 days. Diagnosis of acute otitis media was based on the following signs and symptoms: otalgia, fever, possible otorrhea, alterations of tympanic membrane under otoscopic examination. At the end of the treatment 95.5% of patients were cured after short-term therapy and 94.8% after long-term therapy. At the follow-up (two months after the interruption of treatment) 19 and 17 patients respectively had a recurrence. Side effects were observed in 6.9% and 8.7% of patients respectively (not statistically significant); they were mild, never requiring interruption of the treatment. Cefaclor therapy is very effective for treating children aged 2-6 years affected by acute otitis media, with no significant difference related to treatment duration. Short-course treatments appear better in terms of compliance and tolerability.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Malattie Infettive, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002433:Cefaclor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002433:Cefaclor