Risk Factors for Failure of Erythema Migrans Treatment - Comparison of Doxycycline and Cefuroxime Axetil for Treatment of Adult Patients With Erythema Migrans: Clinical and Microbiological Outcome.

Detailed Summary

Background: * While doxycycline is a standard antibiotic for treatment of erythema migrans in Europe as well as in the USA, the effectiveness of cefuroxime axetil in the treatment of adult patients with erythema migrans has been assessed only in the USA where the causative agent of Lyme disease is Borrelia burgdorferi, but not in Europe where the main etiologic agents are B. afzelii and B. garinii. * Controversy exists over the significance and even the existence of post-Lyme disease symptoms because of the high rate of similar background symptoms in the general population. Purpose: The two main purposes of this European, prospective clinical trial in which doxycycline and cefuroxime axetil are compared in the treatment of adult patients with erythema migrans and which included a control group to address the significance of post-Lyme disease symptoms are: * To assess and compare the effectiveness of doxycycline and cefuroxime axetil in the treatment of erythema migrans using clinical and bacteriological criteria (noninferiority testing approach), and * to compare the frequency of post-Lyme disease symptoms in adult patients treated for EM with antibiotics and the frequency of similar symptoms in control subjects without Lyme disease.

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