Twice-daily penicillin in the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis.

Abstract

An investigation was performed to compare the effectiveness of oral penicillin V given twice daily with penicillin V given three times daily in the treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 250 mg of penicillin V either two or three times daily for ten days. Overall, 23 (23%) of 99 patients had the same strain of GABHS isolated from their follow-up as from their initial throat culture and were considered to have bacteriologic-treatment failures. Of the 50 patients in the three-times-daily group, nine (18%) had bacteriologic-treatment failures, while 14 (28.5%) of 49 patients in the twice-daily group had bacteriologic-treatment failures. The results of this and earlier investigations suggest that penicillin V given twice daily is as effective as penicillin V given three times daily for the treatment of GABHS pharyngitis.

• Authors: M A Gerber, L J Spadaccini, L L Wright, L Deutsch, E L Kaplan
• Journal: American journal of diseases of children (1960) (Am J Dis Child) Vol. 139 Issue 11 Pg. 1145-8 (Nov 1985) ISSN: 0002-922X [Print] United States
• PMID: 3933330 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Bacterial
• Antistreptolysin
• Deoxyribonucleases
• deoxyribonuclease B
• Penicillin V

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Adolescent
• Antibodies, Bacterial (analysis)
• Antistreptolysin (analysis)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Deoxyribonucleases (immunology)
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Patient Compliance
• Penicillin V (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Pharyngitis (drug therapy, etiology)
• Pharynx (microbiology)
• Prospective Studies
• Random Allocation
• Streptococcal Infections (drug therapy)
• Streptococcus pyogenes