Penicillin for seven days can effectively treat sore throat

Sore throat is said to be a self limiting disease yet many general practitioners treat their patients with penicillin. After three days of penicillin, when the patient is improving, it would be thought that host defences would prevent relapse. To test this hypothesis Zwart et al (p 150) assessed clinical and bacteriological effects of a three day and a seven day regimen of penicillin V in adult patients with sore throat, selected by clinical criteria. Compared with placebo only the seven day penicillin regimen accelerated the resolution of symptoms in patients with group A streptococci and probably also in those with non-group A streptococci. Based on these findings the authors discourage the tendency in western Europe to reduce the duration of penicillin treatment for streptococcal pharyngitis.

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Relevant Article

Penicillin for acute sore throat: randomised double blind trial of seven days versus three days treatment or placebo in adults

Sjoerd Zwart, Alfred P E Sachs, Gijs J H M Ruijs, Jan W Gubbels, Arno W Hoes, and Ruut A de Melker
BMJ 2000 320: 150-154. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]