Erythromycin in treatment of Campylobacter enteritis in children.

Erythromycin ethylsuccinate therapy was compared with no treatment in a randomized, prospective trial of treatment of Campylobacter enteritis in infants and children. Patients received either erythromycin ethylsuccinate (N = 15), 40 mg/kg/day every six hours, for seven days or no treatment (N = 12). The mean age (5.5 v 3.7 years), sex ratio, and mean duration of illness before admission to study (5.5 v 6.4 days) of the two groups were similar. No difference was noted in the mean days to resolution of diarrhea (3.2 v 3.8 days). However, the mean duration of bacterial shedding was shorter in the treatment group (2.0 days) compared with the group without treatment (16.8 days). Bacteriologic relapse occurred in one patient in the treatment group, and three relapses occurred in the group without treatment. Two secondary cases occurred among household contacts, one in each group.