Amoxicillin effect on bacterial load in group A streptococcal pharyngitis: comparison of single and multiple daily dosage regimens

Background Culture tests have demonstrated that once-daily administration of amoxicillin may be effective in the treatment of group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis. However, culture methods do not allow accurate assessments of bacterial load changes because of the suppressive effect of the antibiotic on bacterial growth. In this study, we used real-time PCR to compare the effectiveness of once-daily and multiple-daily amoxicillin treatment for pediatric patients with GAS pharyngitis.