Table 1.

Different antibiotic regimens: results of comparative RCTs.

Ref	Regimen	Participants	Clinical cure (significance)
	iv ceftriaxone 1 g od for 7 days v iv flucloxacillin 1 g qds for a mean of 9 days	58 people with cellulitis	21/23 [92%] with ceftriaxone v 14/22 [64%] with flucloxacillin after 4–6 days; RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.02; NNT 4, 95% CI 2 to 17
	iv cefazolin 2 g od plus oral probenecid 1 g od v ceftriaxone 1 g od plus placebo for median 6–7 days	132 people with cellulitis	51/67 [76%] with cefazolin plus probenecid v 55/67 [82%] with ceftriaxone plus placebo after 6–7 days; RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.10
	iv flucloxacillin 1 g qds plus iv benzylpenicillin 1.2 g v iv flucloxacillin 1 g qds alone for 5 days (outcomes analysed after 24 hours)	81 people with cellulitis	Clinical cure rates not reported. Mean temperature reduction: 0.36 °C with flucloxacillin plus benzylpenicillin v 0.42 °C with flucloxacillin alone; mean difference: –0.07 °C, 95% CI –0.76 °C to +0.62 °C; P = 0.84 Participant assessed improvement (scale of “improved”, “unchanged”, or “worse”): 25/34 [74%] improved, 9/34 [26%] unchanged, 0/34 [0%] worse with flucloxacillin plus benzylpenicillin v 21/31 [68%] improved, 9/34 [26%] unchanged, 0/34 [0%] worse with flucloxacillin alone; P = 0.32
	iv penicillin 2.5 MU 8 times daily followed by 6 MU orally od for mean 13 days v oral roxithromycin 150 mg bd for mean 13 days	69 people with erysipelas	29/38 [76%] with penicillin v 26/31 [84%] with roxithromycin after 30 days; RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.15
	Oral azithromycin total dose 1.5 g over 5 days v oral erythromycin 500 mg qds for 7 days	Subgroup analysis in 128 people with cellulitis	52/72 [72%] with azithromycin v 37/50 [74%] with erythromycin after 4–11 days; RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.21
	Oral azithromycin total dose 1.5 g over 5 days v oral cloxacillin 500 mg qds for 7 days	Subgroup analysis in 62 people with cellulitis	27/41 [66%] with azithromycin v 11/21 [52%] with cloxacillin after 4–9 days; RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.79 to 2.00
	Oral azithromycin total dose 750 mg over 5 days v cefalexin 500 mg bd for 10 days	Subgroup analysis in 95 people with suspected cellulitis, 47 of whom had microbiologically proved cellulitis	12/24 [50%] with azithromycin v 14/23 [61%] with cefalexin after 11 days; RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.38
	Cefdinir 300 mg bd for 10 days v cefalexin 500 mg qds for 10 days	Subgroup analysis in 78 people with suspected cellulitis, 34 of whom had microbiologically proved cellulitis	In the 34 people with microbiologically proved cellulitis: 13/17 [76%] with cefdinir v 14/17 [82%] with cefalexin after 7–16 days; RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.31
	Oral amoxicillin–clavulanate potassium 125–500 mg tds v oral fleroxacin 400 mg od	Subgroup analysis in 11 people with cellulitis or erysipelas	7/7 [100%] with co-amoxiclav v 4/4 [100%] with fleroxacin after 3–9 days
	iv fleroxacin 400 mg od v iv ceftazidime 0.52 g bd/tds	Subgroup analysis in 39 people with cellulitis	26/27 [96%] with fleroxacin v 9/12 [75%] with ceftazidime after 21 days; RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.78
	iv ampicillin/sulbactam 0.5–1 g qds v iv cefazolin 500 mg qds for 6–7 days	Subgroup analysis in 20 people with cellulitis	8/8 [100%] with ampicillin/sulbactam v 9/12 [75%] with cefazolin after 10 days
	iv benzylpenicillin 4 MU six times daily v intramuscular bipenicillin (benzylpenicillin plus procaine penicillin) 2 MU twice daily for 10 days	112 adults hospitalised with erysepalas of the leg	Treatment success: 80% with intravenous benzylpenicillin v 86% with intramuscular bipenicillin at 10 days; absolute numbers not reported; P = 0.40Mean time to treatment success: 6.3 days with intravenous benzylpenicillin v 6.5 days with intramuscular bipenicillin; P = 0.75

bd, twice daily; iv, intravenous; od, once daily; qds, four times daily; ref, reference; tds, three times daily.