[Cefotaxime treatment of osteomyelitis of the foot in the diabetic].

Osteomyelitis at the base of an ulcer the foot of diabetic patient is a serious complication usually produced because of the patient's neglect, and entailing difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. Several factors (neurological and vascular ...) favor the onset of the initial ulcer and its evolution, the ulcer subsequently converting into the main door for soft tissue infection with extension to the contiguous bone, with a bad prognosis. Cefotaxime is a 3rd generation cephalosporin, active against coccus gram positive and the majority of aerobic gram negative bacillus. This antibiotic was used in 25 diabetic patients with osteomyelitis at a dosage of 2 gr. IV a/d, during at least 30 days, adding metronidazole when anaerobic bacteria were isolated. The number of patients cured were 21 (84%), one improvement (4%), one resistant (4%) and two relapses (8%). There were no secondary effects.