COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FIVE DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTIC REGIMENS ON INFECTION WITH RICKETTSIA TYPHI: THERAPEUTIC DATA FROM 87 CASES

ACHILLEAS GIKAS Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology Zoonoses, and Geographic Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, Herakion, Crete, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Chania, Chania, Crete, Greece

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STEPHANOS DOUKAKIS Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology Zoonoses, and Geographic Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, Herakion, Crete, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Chania, Chania, Crete, Greece

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JOHN PEDIADITIS Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology Zoonoses, and Geographic Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, Herakion, Crete, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Chania, Chania, Crete, Greece

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SERAFIM KASTANAKIS Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology Zoonoses, and Geographic Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, Herakion, Crete, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Chania, Chania, Crete, Greece

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ANDREAS MANIOS Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology Zoonoses, and Geographic Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, Herakion, Crete, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Chania, Chania, Crete, Greece

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YIANNIS TSELENTIS Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology Zoonoses, and Geographic Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, World Health Organization Collaborating Center, Herakion, Crete, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Chania, Chania, Crete, Greece

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2004.70.576
Volume/Issue:
Volume 70: Issue 5
Page(s):
576–579
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This study estimated the clinical effectiveness of five different antibiotic regimens (doxycycline, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline plus chloramphenicol, and doxycycline plus ciprofloxacin) administered for infection with Rickettsia typhi in terms of the duration of the fever. Eighty-seven patients with endemic typhus were hospitalized between 1993 and 1998 at the General Hospital of Chania in Chania, Crete, Greece. The mean time to defervescence was 2.9 days for doxycycline, 4.0 days for chloramphenicol, and 4.2 days for ciprofloxacin. In patients receiving combinations of doxycycline plus chloramphenicol and doxycycline plus ciprofloxacin, fever subsided in 3.4 and 4.0 days, respectively. The outcome was favorable in all patients, and no deaths or relapses were observed within two months.

Copyright:
Copyright 2004 The American Society of Tropical Medicine 2004
Received:
05 Jul 2003
|
Accepted:
25 Sep 2003
|
Published Online:
May 2004
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
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