Azithromycin compared with clarithromycin for the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis in children.

The treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis with azithromycin (10 mg/kg orally once daily for 3 days) or clarithromycin (7.5 mg/kg orally twice daily for 10 days) was compared in a randomized observer-blind study carried out in 174 children with documented Streptococcus pyogenes infection. The observed cure rate 10 days after the beginning of treatment was 61/63 (96.8%) in the clarithromycin group and 71/74 (95.9%) in the azithromycin group. At days 17-20 the bacteriological eradication rate was 95.2% for clarithromycin and 94.6% for azithromycin. When children who did not complete treatment were included in the analysis the eradication rate was higher for azithromycin (93.6% compared with 82.9%; P < 0.05); the difference was due to better compliance with the azithromycin regimen.