TREATMENT OF GROUP A BETA HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCAL TONSILLITIS WITH CEFUROXIME AXETIL FOR 4 DAYS : A COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH PENICILLIN V FOR 10 DAYS.

The aim of this study was to compare the eradication rate of group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) and the clinical efficacy of cefuroxime axetil (250 mg bid for 4 days) and penicillin (1 million I.U. tid for 10 days) as treatment of tonsillitis. 170 adult patients (mean age ± standard deviation = 27 ± 14 years; 57 male, 113 female; 90 cefuroxime axetil, 80 penicillin V), fulfilled the inclusion criteria including the isolation of GABHS from the tonsils before treatment and provided specimens for culture in the 3 days post-treatment (D4 to D7 for cefuroxime axetil, D10 to D13 for penicillin V). The eradication rates were similar : respectively 96.3 % and 95.9 %. Clinical efficacy was 99 % for CAE and 96 % for penicillin V. Symptoms disappaered significantly faster in the cefuroxime axetil group (fever, 2.5 vs 3.6 days; sore throat, 2.6 vs 3.8 days; dysphagia, 2.6 vs 3.7 days; p < 0.0001). At follow-up visit, 5 patients in the cefuroxime axetil group had a clinical relapse versus 4 in the penicillin V group. Safety was good in the 2 groups (cefuroxime axetil, 6 adverse events; penicillin V, 8). For the treatment of GABHS tonsillitis, the eradication rate with cefuroxime axetil (4 days) is similar to that with penicillin V (10 days). Clinical symptoms resolved significantly faster in the cefuroxime axetil group.