Vibramycin in paediatrics. An evaluation of the onset of action and efficacy.

The effectiveness of and tolerance to doxycycline (Vibramycin, Pfizer) was investigated in a group of 188 children and the radpidity of both subjective and objective improvement was assessed in a second group of 58 children. Doxycycline was found to be very effective. It was possible to analyse the results of treatment in 245 out of the total of 246 patients. Cure was obtained in 168 patients (68.6%) and marked improvement was seen in 59 (24.1%). The overall success rate was thus 92.7%. 18 patients (7.3%) failed to respond; these either had a history of relapsing infections or were infected with resistant organisms. Doxycycline also proved to be rapid in its effect. Rapid subjective improvement was seen in 48 out of 58 patients (84.2%) and rapid objective improvement in 41 patients (70.7%). Tolerance to doxycycline was very good. Treatment had to be interrupted in only one out of 246 patients; there were initial gastrointestinal symptoms in 4 patients. Doxycycline showed itself to be a very suitable antibiotic for use in day-to-day paediatric practice.