COMPARATIVE THERAPEUTIC RESULTS OF PENICILLIN PLUS CHLORAMPHENICOL VERSUS AMPICILLIN PLUS SULBACTAM IN CHILDHOOD MENINGOCOCCEMIA

Fifty-seven cases of meningococcemia were evaluated retrospectively. T he age of the patients ranged between 2 and 17 years. Of the 57 patien ts investigated for the efficacy of antibiotic treatment, 31 (54.4%) w ere treated with benzylpenicillin plus chloramphenicol and 26 (45.6%) with ampicillin plus sulbactam. Patients with criteria for a poor prog nosis (presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation, low arteria l blood pressure, and altered consciousness) were divided equally into two treatment groups. There were no statistically significant differe nces between the two treatment groups except for the higher incidence of convulsion in the group given penicillin plus chloramphenicol. The mortality rate was 19.3 percent for patients treated with benzylpenici llin plus chloramphenicol and 7.6 percent for patients treated with am picillin plus sulbactam (p = 0.19; overall mortality rate 14%).