Acute
otitis media (AOM),
sinusitis and tonsillopharyngitis are
respiratory tract infections frequently encountered by primary-care physicians. Increasing bacterial resistance, particularly in Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is one of the most important respiratory tract bacteria implicated in community-acquired
respiratory tract infections, has led to concern about the current options for empirical
antibiotic treatment and has prompted a search for effective alternative treatments. Data from in vitro studies show that
cefpodoxime has good activity against the main respiratory tract pathogens, S. pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pyogenes. Clinical studies confirm the efficacy of
cefpodoxime in AOM,
sinusitis and tonsillopharyngitis. As with all broad-spectrum
antibiotics, there is the risk of promotion of bacterial resistance associated with overuse. However, if used with care,
cefpodoxime can be considered as an alternative for empirical treatment of bacterial
respiratory tract infections encountered in general practice, particularly where
penicillins and
macrolides have reduced efficacy against the main bacterial pathogens.