Review of side-effects of aminopenicillins.

Side-effects of aminopenicillin therapy are reviewed on the basis of nine comparative studies of ampicillin and bacampicillin, and available literature data from investigations with talampicillin, pivampicillin, bacampicillin and amoxycillin. Diarrhoea is more common with ampicillin than with newer aminopenicillins. Exanthema do not appear more frequently with newer aminopenicillins. The frequency of upper gastrointestinal complaints in association with some of the newer aminopenicillins (amoxycillin, bacampicillin) is not more frequent than with ampicillin. All current evidence speaks in favour of a change from ampicillin to modern aminopenicillins for oral therapy.