Abstract
Seven-day courses of either pivmecillinam 200 mg plus pivampicillin 250 mg (Miraxid) or a combination of tetracycline hydrochloride, Chlortetracycline hydrochloride and demeclocycline hydrochloride (Deteclo) 300 mg, both given twice daily, were compared in a multicentre general practice study in 408 patients with symptoms of upper or lower respiratory tract infection. Patients were stratified into four diagnostic groups: sinusitis, otitis media, throat infections, and acute bronchitis and randomly allocated to treatment within these groups. Assessment at 7 days showed no difference in clinical efficacy between the two treatments where 193 of the 208 infections receiving Miraxid (93%) were rated as either cured or improved compared with 181 of the 201 infections treated with Deteclo (90%). At 7 days, the percentage of patients completely free of symptoms was the same for both groups (66%). The mean time for symptoms to clear was 3·9 days in the Miraxid group and 4·0 days in the Deteclo group. Side-effects were reported by significantly fewer patients in the Miraxid group (9·3%) than the Deteclo group (17·5%) (p< 0·05) and six patients in the latter group failed to complete the course of treatment. Miraxid given twice daily for respiratory tract infections is as effective as Deteclo but causes significantly fewer side-effects.
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