Clinical and economic impact of enterovirus illness in private pediatric practice.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the acute clinical course and economic burden of nonpolio enteroviral (NPEV) illness in the summer/fall season as seen in private pediatric practice. METHODS: We prospectively studied 380 children aged 4 to 18 years with systemic NPEV syndromes presenting to private suburban pediatric practices. Seventy-three asymptomatic controls were concurrently enrolled. Clinical diagnosis of NPEV illness was based on the presence of fever plus at least one of the following: headache and stiff neck (n = 2); myalgia and malaise (n = 105); nonpuritic maculopapular rash (n = 10); papulovesicular stomatitis (n = 214); papular rash of the hands, feet, and mouth (H/F/M) (n = 30); or pleurodynia (n = 11). Study participants were enrolled during a 4-month time span (July-October, 1994) and followed daily for 14 days. A parent symptom diary card and twice weekly phone contacts by study nurses characterized the illness to include the frequency of health care contacts, the necessity for laboratory tests, medication use, and school/work absenteeism. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-two (98%) children completed the study; 122 (33%) of the patients were confirmed to be infected with NPEV. Confirmed NPEV infection was more frequently observed in Rochester, NY (85/147 = 58%) than in Scottsdale, AZ (32/224 = 14%). The age group 4 to 12 years comprised 79% to 90% of the enrollees, depending on the syndrome. Median duration of illness and median number of missed days of school/summer camp/work for the enrolled patients was: meningitis (7 days ill, 2 days missed), myalgia/malaise (9 days ill, 3 days missed), rash (6 days ill, 4 days missed), stomatitis (7 days ill, 2 days missed), H/F/M (7 days ill, 1 day missed), and pleurodynia (8 days ill, 3 days missed). Direct medical costs varied from $69 per case to $771 per case and indirect costs, attributable primarily to parent missed work and/or sick-child care, varied from $63 per case to $422 per case for H/F/M and meningitis, respectively. In households, H/F/M spread to 50% of siblings and 25% of parents. CONCLUSIONS: In our study population, NPEV infection: 1) caused sufficient illness to prompt physician visits in summer and fall; 2) occurred more frequently in 4 to 12 year olds than in adolescents; 3) produced various clinical syndromes concurrently during the same months in the same season of a given year; 4) varied in occurrence geographically; 5) was characterized by numerous symptoms of longer duration than previously recognized; and 6) produced a significant economic impact by generating both direct and indirect costs.

Penetration of ceftibuten into middle ear fluid.

The penetration of ceftibuten, an extended-spectrum oral cephalosporin, into middle ear fluid (MEF) was evaluated in pediatric patients during a course of daily oral doses of 9 mg/kg of body weight for 10 days. Plasma and MEF collected at 2, 4, 6, or 12 h after at least 3 days of dosing were analyzed for ceftibuten by a high-pressure liquid chromatography method, and the data were used to calculate pharmacokinetic parameters. Plasma and MEF had almost identical maximum concentrations (Cmax) of ceftibuten (14 micrograms/ml). These Cmax values in MEF during acute otitis media were well in excess of the MIC for 90% of the isolates of each of four major pathogens in this disease. The time to Cmax was longer in MEF (4 h) than in plasma (2 h). Excellent penetration (71%) of ceftibuten into MEF was observed on the basis of the area under the curve ratio (MEF/plasma). These data clearly indicate that ceftibuten penetrated well into the MEF to yield clinically effective concentrations.

Ceftibuten vs. penicillin V in group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. Members of the Ceftibuten Pharyngitis International Study Group.

The efficacy and safety of a 10-day course of ceftibuten oral suspension (9 mg/kg once daily) were compared with those of penicillin V (25 mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses) in children 3 to 18 years old treated for symptomatic pharyngitis and scarlet fever caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes). The study was prospective, randomized, multicenter and investigator-blinded; patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio (ceftibuten:penicillin V). Overall clinical success (cure/improvement) at the primary end point of treatment (5 to 7 days posttherapy) was achieved in 97% (285 of 294) of ceftibuten-treated patients vs. 89% (117 of 132) of penicillin V-treated patients (P < 0.01). Elimination of infecting streptococci 5 to 7 days posttherapy was achieved in 91% (267 of 294) of ceftibuten-treated patients vs 80% (105 of 132) of penicillin V-treated patients (P < 0.01). A significant rise in anti-streptolysin O or anti-DNase B was observed in approximately 30% of patients in both treatment groups. No patient developed rheumatic fever or nephritis. Treatment-related adverse events were similar between the two groups; mild vomiting (2%) was most frequently reported. These data suggest that once daily ceftibuten is as safe as and more effective than three times daily penicillin V for the treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis.

Multicenter controlled trial comparing ceftibuten with amoxicillin/clavulanate in the empiric treatment of acute otitis media. Members of the Ceftibuten Otitis Media United States Study Group.

The efficacy and safety of ceftibuten (9 mg/kg daily for 10 days) were compared with those of amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin 40 mg/kg/day given every 8 hours for 10 days) in the empiric treatment of acute otitis media in children. This was a multicenter, investigator-blinded study with 1:1 randomization. Overall clinical response and signs and symptoms of otitis were collected prospectively pretreatment, 3 to 5 days during treatment, 1 to 3 days post-treatment and at 2- to 4-week follow-up. In addition to spontaneous reports of other adverse events, gastrointestinal adverse events were prospectively elicited at each visit. Two hundred ninety-six patients (146 ceftibuten and 150 amoxicillin/clavulanate) were treated with at least 1 dose of study medication. Compliance with dosing was assessable with weight of drug consumed in 127 patients in each treatment group. Five percent (6 of 127) of ceftibuten patients and 11% (14 of 127) of amoxicillin/clavulanate patients received < 80% of prescribed drug (P = 0.10) and were therefore not valid. Two hundred twenty-two patients (121 ceftibuten and 101 amoxicillin/clavulanate) received a minimum of 80% of prescribed medication and were compliant with the protocol. Ceftibuten and amoxicillin/clavulanate groups were comparable both for demographic variables and for baseline signs and symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Worldwide safety experience with ceftibuten pediatric suspension.

Ceftibuten suspension was administered to 1312 pediatric patients in clinical trials at a dosage of 9 mg/kg once daily, with a maximal daily dose of 400 mg. Adverse experiences were collected by voluntary reports by physicians from direct observations, parental and/or patient complaints in 1152 patients. In 160 patients gastrointestinal adverse experiences were elicited at each visit in addition to voluntary reports. Patients had a mean age of 4.9 years, the male: female ratio was 1:1 and 72% were white. Fifty-five percent (719 of 1312) of patients were treated in otitis media studies, 33% (438 of 1312) were treated in a pharyngitis study and 12% (155 of 1312) were treated in other studies. Adverse experiences occurred in 10% (138 of 1312) of all patients receiving ceftibuten suspension. The most common voluntarily reported treatment-related adverse events were diarrhea 3% (34 of 1152) and vomiting 2% (22 of 1152). For elicited adverse events related to treatment, the most common were also diarrhea 9% (14 of 160) and vomiting 3% (5 of 160). There were no deaths and only 0.9% (12 of 1312) patients discontinued treatment because of adverse events. Abnormal laboratory values related to therapy were uncommon and no patient discontinued treatment because of abnormal laboratory values. No cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, serum sickness-like reactions or pseudomembranous colitis have been observed with ceftibuten suspension in research studies to date.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)