The subjects were 61 patients with skin or
soft-tissue infections treated at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. The patients, aged 15 to 59 years (40 females, 21 males), were randomly assigned to receive 300 mg of
clindamycin or 500 mg of
cloxacillin orally thrice daily for seven days. On day 8, the
infections were cured in seven of the 31
clindamycin-treated patients and in three of the 30
cloxacillin-treated patients; on day 15, 27 of the
clindamycin group and 18 of the
cloxacillin group were cured; four
clindamycin-treated patients and 11
cloxacillin-treated patients were improved; and one
cloxacillin-treated patient failed. The between-group differences were not statistically significant. Pretreatment positive cultures were obtained in 40 patients, including Staphylococcus aureus in 24, group A beta-hemolytic streptococci in five, and a combination of S aureus and beta-hemolytic streptococci in four. Side effects were reported by three
clindamycin-treated patients (gastric upset,
nausea, and
headache) and one
cloxacillin-treated patient (
nausea). Abnormal changes in laboratory test results from before to
after treatment were noted in both patient groups and were probably not attributable to either
drug. It is concluded that
clindamycin is a safe and effective agent in the treatment of skin and
soft-tissue infections.