Elimination of bacteria during antibacterial chemotherapy--a neglected parameter of chemotherapy.

In 25 patients with urinary tract infections (pathogen Escherichia coli), colony counts from bacteria in the urine were done before and after treatment with antibiotics. Both 800 mg bacampicillin and ampicillin have a higher bactericidal effect in urine than co-trimoxazole. Patients with acute urinary tract infections given 400 mg bacampicillin and patients with chronic infections given double that dosage showed equally good results. In uncomplicated urinary tract infections with sensitive strains treated with cefotaxime, the colony count was reduced markedly faster than in infections in patients with kidney insufficiency or infection with multiresistant strains. The reduction of the colony count from the urine of patients with urinary tract infections and multiresistant strains during treatment with antibiotics is an important criterion in the evaluation of antibiotics. Such tests should supplement the customary sensitivity checks of antibiotics, the MIC and the agar diffusion test in the early phases of clinical trials.