A comparison of 5 days of therapy with cefdinir or azithromycin in children with acute otitis media: A multicenter, prospective, single-blind study

• Published in: Clinical therapeutics Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 786 - 794
• Main Authors: Block, Stan L., Cifaldi, Mary, Gu, Yihua, Paris, Maria M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Belle Mead, NJ Elsevier Inc 01.06.2005; Excerpta Medica; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Acoustic Impedance Tests - methods; Acute Disease; acute otitis media; Administration, Oral; Analgesics - therapeutic use; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic - therapeutic use; Anti-Infective Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Infective Agents - adverse effects; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Antimicrobial agents; azithromycin; Azithromycin - administration & dosage; Azithromycin - adverse effects; Azithromycin - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; cefdinir; Cephalosporins - administration & dosage; Cephalosporins - adverse effects; Cephalosporins - therapeutic use; Child, Preschool; children; Diarrhea - chemically induced; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug resistance; Ear diseases; Female; Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Meningococcal Vaccines - administration & dosage; Meningococcal Vaccines - immunology; Otitis Media - drug therapy; Otitis Media - physiopathology; Pathogens; Pediatrics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pneumococcal Vaccines - administration & dosage; Pneumococcal Vaccines - immunology; Potassium; Prospective Studies; Single-Blind Method; Streptococcus infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae - drug effects; Streptococcus pneumoniae - growth & development; Surveillance; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Trends; Tympanic Membrane - drug effects; Tympanic Membrane - physiopathology; United States > US; Kentucky; acute otitis media; azithromycin; cefdinir; children; Human; Middle ear disease; β-Lactams; Acute; Azithromycin; Cefdinir; Macrolide; Prospective; Cephalosporin derivatives; Antibiotic; Treatment; ENT disease; Otitis media; Antibacterial agent; Child; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0149-2918; 1879-114X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2005.06.012

Short-course therapy for acute otitis media (AOM) improves adherence and may reduce secondary bacterial resistance. In this multicenter, prospective, investigator-blinded study, patients between the ages of 6 months and 6 years with a clinical diagnosis of AOM were randomized to receive cefdinir oral suspension 7 mg/kg q12h for 5 days or azithromycin oral suspension 10 mg/kg once daily on day 1 and 5 mg/kg once daily on days 2 through 5. Clinical response was assessed at the end-of-therapy (EOT) visit (days 7–9) and the follow-up visit (days 20–25). Three hundred fifty-seven patients were enrolled in the study. The treatment groups were similar at baseline with respect to demographic characteristics (mean [SD] age, 3.0 [1.7] years; 55% male), incidence of bilateral AOM (45%), and presenting signs and symptoms. The majority of evaluable children (77%) had previously received conjugated heptavalent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) against Streptococcus pneumoniae. At the EOT visit, clinical cure rates were comparable for cefdinir and azithromycin (87% [151/174] and 85% [149/176], respectively; 95% CI, −5.5 to 9.8). In addition, clinical cure rates at the EOT visit in the children who had been vaccinated with PCV7 were comparable between cefdinir and azithromycin (86% vs 83%; 95% CI, −6.5 to 11.8). No significant difference in clinical cure rates was observed at the follow-up visit (76% and 86%; 95% CI, −18.9 to 0.0). Parental satisfaction was similar between treatment groups with regard to ease of use, taste, compliance, health care resource utilization, and missed days of work and day-care. Both antibiotics were well tolerated; diarrhea and abnormal stools were the most common antibiotic-related adverse events (≤7% each). Short courses (5 days) of therapy with cefdinir or azithromycin were comparable in these children with AOM based on clinical end points, parental preferences, and health care utilization.