Segev S, Kitzes R, Rubinstein E, Pitlik S, Samra Y, Shenkman L, Weinberg M
Infectious Diseases Unit, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Isr J Med Sci. 1988 Aug;24(8):410-4.
One hundred and fourteen hospitalized patients with moderate or severe infections were assigned at random, in four medical centers, to receive either ceftizoxime or cefotaxime, administered intravenously in a dosage of 1 to 2 g every 8 h. Of 96 patients evaluable for efficacy, 24 (25%) had bacteremia, 46 (48%) had urinary tract infections and 9 (9%) had pneumonias. Half the patients had been treated ineffectively by other antibiotics prior to the study drug treatment. The overall clinical efficacy was 90% in both treatment groups and 83% in both groups with bacteremia. All patients with urinary tract infection were cured by both agents. Bacteriological eradication rate was 95% in both groups. Adverse reactions, though mild, were more frequent in the cefotaxime group (13.5%) than in the ceftizoxime group (6.8%); superinfection rate was higher in the ceftizoxime group. Both antibiotics were highly and equally efficacious in the therapy of severe infections in hospitalized patients.
