[Microbiologic and clinical significance of cefotiam].

Modern cephalosporins are of considerable importance for the therapy of severe infections by multiresistant organisms. According to in-vitro-findings on ampicillin-resistant E. coli as well as Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., and serratia spp., altogether 159 strains, instead of cefotaxime nearly always also cefotiam can be used. The two remedies are clearly superior to cephalothin. cefotiam is ineffective to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. But in this case also cefotaxime is clearly inferior to azlocillin. In 6 of 7 casuistic instances the clinical effectiveness of cefotiam could be confirmed with good tolerability. The contemporary establishment of staph. aureus in mixed infections of serratiastaphylococci proved as as particular advantage. A primary therapeutic failure referred to a necrotizing pancreatitis, when no causative organism was proved, in which case also cefotaxime remained without any effect. Despite the improved individual medical possibilities the control of the infectious hospitalism by critical administration of antibiotics and improved hospital hygiene, particularly strict non-infection, must remain the pre-eminent task.