| Author/Editor | Arnež, Maja; Radšel-Medvešček, Alenka; Pleterski-Rigler, Dušica; Ružić-Sabljić, Eva; Strle, Franc | |
| Title | Comparison of cefuroxime axetil and phenoxymethyl penicillin for the treatment of children with solitary erythema migrans | |
| Type | članek | |
| Source | Wien Klin Wochenschr | |
| Vol. and No. | Letnik 111, št. 22-23 | |
| Publication year | 1999 | |
| Volume | str. 916-22 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Abstract | Objective: to compare the clinical efficacy and drug-related adverse effects of 14 days of treatment with cefuroxime axetil 30 mg/kg/day or phenoxymethyl penicillin 100 000 IU/kg/day in the treatment of children with erythema migrans. Methods: consecutive patients younger than 15 years, referred to our institution in 1996 with solitary erythema migrans and without prior antibiotic therapy, were included in this prospective study. Basic demographic features and clinical data were collected by questionnaire. The efficacy of the treatment of acute disease, development of major and/or minor manifestations of Lyme borreliosis and drug-related adverse effects were surveyed at follow-up visits during the first year after the initiation of antibiotic treatment. Results: forty-six patients received cefuroxime axetil (group C) and 44, phenoxymethyl penicillin (group P). The two groups differed in terms of age (patients in group C were younger), but no other differences in demo-graphic and clinical pre-treatment characteristics were present. The clinical course during the post-treatment period revealed no significant differences between the two groups: the duration of erythema migrans (7.1+-7.5 days in group C, 10.6+-19.3 days in group P) and the appearance of minor manifestations of Lyme borreliosis (8.8% in group C, 9.1 % in group P) were comparable; no major manifestations were recorded. Twelve months after antibiotic treatment all patients were free of symptoms. The patients treated with cefuroxime axetil had more drug-related adverse effects than did those treated with phenoxymethyl penicillin (26.1 % versus 6.8%, p=0.0301 ). "Herxheimer's reaction" at the beginning of treatment was identified more often in group C than in group P, but the difference was not statistically signifi- cant. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters.) | |
| Descriptors | ERYTHEMA CHRONICUM MIGRANS CEFUROXIME PENICILLIN V CHILD LYME DISEASE TREATMENT OUTCOME |