A multicentre general practice study comparing pivampicillin (Pondocillin) and amoxycillin (Amoxil) in respiratory tract infections.

Seven-day courses of either pivampicillin (Pondocillin) 500 mg twice daily or amoxycillin (Amoxil) 250 mg three times daily were compared in a multicentre general practice study in 463 patients with symptoms of upper or lower respiratory tract infections. Patients were stratified into four diagnostic groups: sinusitis, otitis media, throat infections, and acute bronchitis, and randomly allocated to treatment within these groups. There was an over-all response of 93% in the 227 patients receiving 12-hourly pivampicillin compared with 90% for the 236 patients receiving 8-hourly amoxycillin. Patients suffering from acute bronchitis responded significantly better to pivampicillin (Pondocillin) than to amoxycillin. Side-effects were reported by 15.6% of patients in the amoxycillin group and 14.0% in the pivampicillin group.