The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7280 p834
20/27 December 2003

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Sore throat persists with penicillin

Most children with a sore throat do not need to be treated with penicillin, say researchers. Treatment failed to shorten the duration of sore throat, reduce non-attendance at school or reduce recurrence of sore throat compared with placebo, irrespective of the presence of group A streptococci. The researchers suggest that only children who are severely ill (with imminent quinsy) or at high risk should receive penicillin for sore throat (BMJ 2003;327:1324).