EFFICACY OF TWICE-DAILY AMOXYCILLIN CLAVULANATE (AUGMENTIN-DUO 400/57) IN MILD-TO-MODERATE LOWER RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTION IN CHILDREN/

A new amoxycillin/clavulanate regimen ('Augmentin-Duo' 400/57), to be given orally in two divided doses, has been proposed to overcome the i nconvenience of tid dosing, This observer-blind, multicentre study ran domised children aged two to 12 years with lower respiratory tract inf ection to seven days' treatment with either amoxycillin/clavulanate bi d at a dose of 25/3.6mg/kg/day (221 patients) or the currently prescri bed amoxycillin/clavulanate regimen of 20/5mg/kg/day tid (216 patients ). Clinical success (cure) rates at follow up were 81.0% for the bid g roup and 77.8% for the tid group [difference 3.2%; 95% CI (-4.36, 10.8 0)], indicating that the regimens were of equivalent efficacy. Both re gimens were well tolerated, and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse experiences between the two gr oups, Compliance with study medication was high and similar for both g roups (80% compliance: bid 90.0%; tid 87.0%).