An open, comparative evaluation of amoxycillin and amoxycillin plus clavulanic acid (‘Augmentin’) in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia in children

One hundred children with clinically diagnosed bacterial pneumonia were assigned at random to receive treatment with either amoxycillin (250 or 500 mg) or amoxycillin (250 or 500 mg) plus clavulanic acid (62.5 or 125 mg) 3-times daily, dosage and duration of treatment being determined by the severity of the condition. There were no clinically significant differences between the two groups on entry and the mean duration of treatment was 6.8 days in both. By Day 3 of treatment, significant differences in improvement in chest pain, dyspnoea, pyrexia and sputum production were noted in favour of amoxycillin/clavulanic acid. The response to treatment was significantly better in the combination group with an excellent or good response recorded in 60% and 30% of patients, compared with 26% and 36% in the amoxycillin group. Only 2 adverse reactions were reported, 1 case each of skin rash and diarrhoea in the combined group. The overall clinical efficacy rate of 93.8% in amoxycillin/clavulanic acid-treated patients was significantly better than the 60.4% clinical success recorded in the amoxycillin group.