Ceftazidime versus a combination of amikacin and ticarcillin in the treatment of severe infections.

Hospital patients with severe gram-negative bacterial infections were randomly assigned to treatment with ceftazidime (2 gm every eight or 12 hours) or a combination of amikacin (500 mg every 12 hours) and ticarcillin (3 gm every six or eight hours). The clinical and bacteriological responses to treatment were satisfactory in most of the patients in both treatment groups. Clinical cure was achieved in 18 of the 20 patients treated with ceftazidime and in 17 of the 20 treated with amikacin-ticarcillin. The bacterial eradication rate was 19 of 21 pathogens in the ceftazidime group and 17 of 20 pathogens in the amikacin-ticarcillin group.