Twice-daily penicillin in the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis

Am J Dis Child. 1985 Nov;139(11):1145-8. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1985.02140130083035.

Abstract

An investigation was performed to compare the effectiveness of oral penicillin V given twice daily with penicillin V given three times daily in the treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 250 mg of penicillin V either two or three times daily for ten days. Overall, 23 (23%) of 99 patients had the same strain of GABHS isolated from their follow-up as from their initial throat culture and were considered to have bacteriologic-treatment failures. Of the 50 patients in the three-times-daily group, nine (18%) had bacteriologic-treatment failures, while 14 (28.5%) of 49 patients in the twice-daily group had bacteriologic-treatment failures. The results of this and earlier investigations suggest that penicillin V given twice daily is as effective as penicillin V given three times daily for the treatment of GABHS pharyngitis.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Adolescent
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / analysis
  • Antistreptolysin / analysis
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Deoxyribonucleases / immunology
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Patient Compliance
  • Penicillin V / administration & dosage*
  • Penicillin V / therapeutic use
  • Pharyngitis / drug therapy*
  • Pharyngitis / etiology
  • Pharynx / microbiology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Random Allocation
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antistreptolysin
  • Deoxyribonucleases
  • deoxyribonuclease B
  • Penicillin V