CYCLACILLIN SOUNDS USEFUL FOR PAEDIATRIC OTITIS MEDIA As effective as amoxycillin but with less diarrhoea 363 paediatric patients with acute otitis media received either cyclacillin or amoxycillin, each given as 50 mg/kg/day administered orally tid for 10 days. Seven patients were excluded and received alternative antibiotic treatment because of the isolation of /3-lactamase-positi-ve Haemophilus injluenzae. 162 cyclacillin and 164 amoxycillin patients were included in an efficacy evaluation. Similar clinical success was seen in cyclacillin (89%) and amoxycillin (93%) patients, with clinical recurrences in 12 cyclacillin and 20 amoxycillin patients. The mean time to remission of signs and symptoms was significantly shorter in the cyclacillin group (3.1 vs 4.3 days). In patients who underwent tympanocentesis, a bacteriological cure was seen in 98% of patients with each antibiotic. No reinfections were seen, but relapse occurred in 3/60 cyclacillin patients and 5/ 63 amoxycillin patients. Only 3/179 cyclacillin patients (1.7%) experienced side-effects (all with diarrhoea). However, 23/184 amoxycillin patients (12.5%) had drug-related adverse effects: 18 (9.8%) had diarrhoea, which was significantly higher than for cyclacillin. It therefore appears ' ... that cydacimn is an equally effective amll better tolerated altemathe to amoxydllil!ll when used to treat children with acute otitis media caused by susceptible pathogens.' McLinn, S.E. et al.: Journal of Pediatrics 101: 617 (Oct 1982)

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INPHARMA 30 Oct 1982

0156-2703/82/1030-0008/0$01.00/0

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