Simplification and improvement of height-based azithromycin treatment for paediatric trachoma.
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| Abstract |
Recent data showing that azithromycin is safe at higher dosages than previously documented provide an opportunity to explore several important improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of height-based treatment of paediatric trachoma. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of a single standardised schedule for application in any trachoma-endemic region. Data for 60813 children from Asia, North and sub-Saharan Africa were analysed. A height schedule maximizing the number of children receiving treatment of 20-40 mg/kg, a conservative estimate of the safe and effective treatment range for paediatric trachoma, was developed. Using the standardised schedule, 97.7% of children aged 6 to 59 months receiving oral suspension and 96.7% of children aged 60 months to 15 years receiving tablets would have received treatment within a dosage range of 20-40 mg/kg. Less than 1% of all children would have received treatment less than 20 mg/kg. These findings suggest that the schedule presented in this paper is likely to yield safe and effective treatment for a broad range of populations vulnerable to trachoma while substantially improving the efficiency of height-based treatment.
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| Authors | Eva V Basilion, Peter M Kilima, Jeffrey W Mecaskey |
| Journal | Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg) Vol. 99 Issue 1 Pg. 6-12 (Jan 2005) ISSN: 0035-9203 [Print] England |
| PMID | 15550255 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't) |
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