DEFERVESCENCE PERIOD OF AZITHROMYCIN VERSUS CEFTRIAXONE IN CHILDREN WITH ENTERIC FEVER

OBJECTIVE: To compare the defervescence period of azithromycin versus ceftriaxone in children with enteric fever. METHODS: This open-label, randomized-controlled trial was conducted at Pediatrics Department, Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan from June 30, 2015 to December 30, 2015. Sample size calculated was 99 by using WHO sample size calculator. Patients of either gender, aging 2-12 years, diagnosed as enteric fever were eligible for study. One hundred eligible patients selected through non-probability consecutive sampling technique were recruited in the study, after seeking an informed consent from the parents. These patients were randomized through lottery method in two groups of equal size (n = 50 each). Group A, received oral azithromycin suspension/capsule (10mg/kg/day; maximum dose, 500mg/day) administered once daily for 7 days, while Group B received intravenous (I/V) ceftriaxone (75mg/kg/day; maximum dose, 2.5 g/day) administered twice daily for 10 days. The clinical response to the therapy of both drugs was calculated in terms of number of days taken for defervescence. Data was analyzed in SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients, 64 (64%) were males and 36 (36%) were females and mean age of patients was 7.08 +/- 3.013 years. Patients on azithromycin had the mean time of defervescence 4.08 +/- 0.922 days and patients on ceftriaxone, the mean time of defervescence was 4.06 +/- 1.038 (p = 0.919). CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference between oral azithromycin and intravenous ceftriaxone in term of defervescence period for the treatment of enteric fever in children. Azithromycin could be a suitable alternative owing to its convenient dosing and monitored on outpatient basis.