Abstract

In two randomized clinical trials in children with otitis media, the efficacy and safety of cefprozil are compared to those of amoxicillin/clavulanate (n = 530) and of cefaclor and cefixime (n = 394). The rate of clinical cure or improvement was similar among patients receiving each drug regimen, ranging from 78% for amoxicillin/clavulanate to 89% for cefaclor; for cefprozil, this rate was 84% and 85% in the two studies, respectively. In the first study, cefprozil was superior to amoxicillin/clavulanate in the satisfactory clinical response rate for Streptococcus pneumoniae (P = .049), but response rates were similar for Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Significantly more patients treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate (P less than .001) in the first study or cefixime (P less than .01) in the second study developed diarrhea than did those treated with cefprozil. We conclude that cefprozil therapy for otitis media in children produces clinical and bacteriologic response rates similar to those seen with amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefixime, or cefaclor. Furthermore, diarrhea was significantly less common with cefprozil than with cefixime or amoxicillin/clavulanate.