Comparison of spiramycin and doxycycline in the empirical treatment of acute sinusitis: preliminary results.

In an open randomized comparative study, the clinical and bacteriological efficacy and safety of spiramycin were compared with those of doxycycline in patients with acute sinusitis. Spiramycin was given at a dose of 1 g bd for 10 days and doxycycline at 200 mg once a day on day 1 and 100 mg once a day from day 2 to day 10. Clinical and bacteriological evaluations of efficacy were carried out at the end of therapy. In case of clinical cure, a last follow-up visit was made 15 days after the end of therapy. Adverse effects were recorded. To date 12 assessable patients have been treated with spiramycin and 15 with doxycycline. In the spiramycin group, nine patients were clinically cured at the end of therapy (with no relapse at the last follow-up visit). In the doxycycline group, nine patients were clinically cured at the end of therapy (with no relapse at the last follow-up visit). The data so far available from this study suggest that spiramycin presents an alternative to doxycycline in the treatment of acute sinusitis.