A comparison of the efficacy of cefuroxime axetil and intramuscular benzathine penicillin for treating streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis

Throat cultures were performed on 297 children suspected of tonsillopharyngitis on clinical findings. Group A beta-haemolytic streptococci (GABHS) were isolated from 86 patients (41 males/45 females) aged 6-15 (mean (SD) 7.8 (0.04)) years. They were randomly allocated to receive oral cefuroxime axetil for 10 days (group 1) or one dose of benzathine penicillin by intramuscular injection (group 2) and responses were evaluated 2 weeks later. Clinical cure was observed in 95% of group 1 and 96% of group 2 and bacteriological cure in 86 and 84% of groups 1 and 2, respectively. Our results show that intramuscular benzathine penicillin remains an effective treatment for GABHS and that oral cefuroxime axetil is also effective.