TRIMETHOPRIM AND CO-TRIMOXAZOLE IN THE TREATMENT OF PNEUMONA IN CHILDREN”: A DOUBLE-BLIND CLINICAL TRIAL

We studied the results of a double-blind trial using trimethoprim (10 mg/kg/day) and co-trimoxazole (50 mg/kg/day) during 6 to 13 days in a group of 77 children with pneumonia, whose ages ranged from 12 months to 13 years. Clinical resolution was a little superior in the group treated with co-trimoxazole, whereas normalization of laboratory tests and clearness of roentgenological images were similar in both groups. Adverse side effects were present in only three cases (2 co-trimoxazole treated cases and 1 trimethoprim treated case), and all of them showed a transient increase of serum ALT and AST during 1 to 4 weeks. One patient in each group received amoxicillin and cefotaxime respectively, because a mild deterioration of the clinical condition and of the radiological images were noticed after 5 days of antibiotic therapy. These results show that trimethoprim and co-trimoxazole achieved similar therapeutic results in the treatment of pneumonia in children.