title: Efficacy and safety of azithromycin 1.5% eye drops for purulent bacterial conjunctivitis in pediatric patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Purulent bacterial conjunctivitis affects all ages with high frequency in newborns and children. In a subset of 150 children included in a large study having enrolled 1043 patients, our aim was to analyze in children, the efficacy and safety of azithromycin 1.5% eye-drops in the treatment of this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  This multicenter, randomized, investigator-masked, parallel-group study, included 150 children and adolescents to study safety and compare azithromycin 1.5% eye drops twice daily for 3 days and tobramycin 0.3% 1 drop every 2 hours for 2 days then 4 times daily for 5 days. Out of 150 patients included, 58 had positive cultures and were studied for efficacy. Signs and symptoms were evaluated and cultures obtained at baseline, Days 3 and 9. Primary efficacy variable was the clinical cure (score 0 for bulbar conjunctival injection and purulent discharge) at the test of cure visit (day 9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both treatments were effective with a clinical and microbiologic cure of more than 80% of children on day 9. Azithromycin therapy provided a greater bacteriologic cure on day 3 than did tobramycin (P < 0.001) and eradicated bacteria that were defined as resistant, using classical antibiogram. No adverse effects were noted on the ocular surface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Azithromycin 1.5% eye drops leads to a rapid clinical and microbiological cure.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Ophtalmologie, Centre Saint Victor, CHU d'Amiens, Bd de Beauvillé, Amiens, Université Picardie Jules Verne, France. Bremond.Dominique@chu-amiens.fr
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bremond-Gignac
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mariani-Kurkdjian
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beresniak
authors.forename: Lamia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: El Fekih
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bhagat
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pouliquen
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delval
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goldschmidt
authors.forename: Edouard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bingen
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cochereau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003234:Conjunctivitis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D017963:Azithromycin; D014031:Tobramycin