TY - JOUR
T1 - IV penicillin G is as effective as IV cefuroxime in treating community-acquired pneumonia in children
AU - Amarilyo, Gil
AU - Glatstein, Miguel
AU - Alper, Arik
AU - Scolnik, Dennis
AU - Lavie, Moran
AU - Schneebaum, Nira
AU - Grisaru-Soen, Galia
AU - Assia, Ayala
AU - Ben-Sira, Liat
AU - Reif, Shimon
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Overuse of broad-spectrum antimicrobials has resulted in bacterial resistance and increasing use of relatively expensive antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We hypothesized that CAP requiring parenteral medication is still curable with narrow-spectrum and inexpensive penicillin G. A prospective, randomized study was performed on 58 children aged 3 months to 15 years with CAP. Children were randomly assigned to receive low-dose penicillin G, high penicillin G, or cefuroxime intravenously for 4-7 days. The course of illness was monitored clinically and with predetermined laboratory and radiological indices for 30 days. The children recovered at the same rate with no significant differences in time to defervescence or duration of hospitalization. Observed differences in leukocyte counts and C-reactive protein at discharge were of questionable clinical significance. Penicillin G is as effective and safe as cefuroxime for CAP in otherwise healthy children, even in moderate doses.
AB - Overuse of broad-spectrum antimicrobials has resulted in bacterial resistance and increasing use of relatively expensive antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We hypothesized that CAP requiring parenteral medication is still curable with narrow-spectrum and inexpensive penicillin G. A prospective, randomized study was performed on 58 children aged 3 months to 15 years with CAP. Children were randomly assigned to receive low-dose penicillin G, high penicillin G, or cefuroxime intravenously for 4-7 days. The course of illness was monitored clinically and with predetermined laboratory and radiological indices for 30 days. The children recovered at the same rate with no significant differences in time to defervescence or duration of hospitalization. Observed differences in leukocyte counts and C-reactive protein at discharge were of questionable clinical significance. Penicillin G is as effective and safe as cefuroxime for CAP in otherwise healthy children, even in moderate doses.
KW - Antimicrobial resistance
KW - Cefuroxime
KW - Community-acquired pneumonia
KW - Penicillin G
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896392338&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/MJT.0b013e3182459c28
DO - 10.1097/MJT.0b013e3182459c28
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C2 - 22407197
AN - SCOPUS:84896392338
SN - 1075-2765
VL - 21
SP - 81
EP - 84
JO - American Journal of Therapeutics
JF - American Journal of Therapeutics
IS - 2
ER -