Rs. Dykhuizen et al., PHENOXYMETHYL PENICILLIN VERSUS CO-AMOXICLAV IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE STREPTOCOCCAL PHARYNGITIS, AND THE ROLE OF BETA-LACTAMASE ACTIVITY IN SALIVA, Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 37(1), 1996, pp. 133-138
One hundred and sixty-five consecutive patients ( > 2 years of age) wi
th acute group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis randomly received co-
amoxyclav (79 patients) or phenoxymethyl penicillin (86 patients). bet
a-Lactamase activity in saliva was determined for each patient. At fol
low up after seven days, tonsillar cultures from seven patients (9.6%)
in the penicillin V group grew group A streptococcus; three of these
patients had tonsillitis clinically. In the co-amoxiclav group these f
igures were three (3.8%) and two respectively (P > 0.05). Within the 1
2 month follow up period, there were four clinical recurrences (6.1%)i
n the penicillin V group and seven (9.3%) in the co-amoxiclav group (P
> 0.1). beta-Lactamase activity in the saliva was demonstrated in 29
patients (19.2%). Fourteen (74%) of 19 bacteriological failures or cli
nical recurrences had beta-lactamase activity, versus 15 (12%) of 129
successfully treated patients (P < 0.001). There is no evidence that o
ral co-amoxiclav is better than oral penicillin V for the first treatm
ent of acute GAS pharyngitis, but bacteriological failure and clinical
recurrence are strongly associated with the presence of beta-lactamas
e activity in commensal flora.