Clarithromycin versus azithromycin in the treatment of Mediterranean spotted fever in children: a randomized controlled trial.
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| Abstract |
We conducted an open-label randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy and safety of clarithromycin (15/mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses for 7 days) with those of azithromycin (10 mg/kg/day in 1 dose for 3 days) in the treatment of children with Mediterranean spotted fever. Until now, there has not been a gold-standard therapy for this rickettsial disease in children. Eighty-seven children were randomized to receive 1 of the 2 drugs. The mean time to defervescence (+/- standard deviation) was 46.2+/-36.4 h in the clarithromycin group and 39.3+/-31.3 h in the azithromycin group. These differences were not statistically significant and both drugs were equally well-tolerated. Clarithromycin and azithromycin could be acceptable therapeutic alternatives to chloramphenicol and tetracyclines for children aged < or =8 years with Mediterranean spotted fever. Azithromycin, because it has a long half-life, offers the advantages of administration in a single daily dose and a shorter duration of therapy, which could increase compliance in children.
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| Authors | Antonio Cascio, Claudia Colomba, Spinello Antinori, David L Paterson, Lucina Titone |
| Journal | Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (Clin Infect Dis) Vol. 34 Issue 2 Pg. 154-8 (Jan 15 2002) ISSN: 1537-6591 [Electronic] United States |
| PMID | 11740701 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial) |
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