Cost analysis of antibiotics in the management of perforated or gangrenous appendicitis.

Costs associated with treating patients for gangrenous or perforated appendicitis were compared. Patients received single agent therapy with cefoperazone or cefamandole or combination antibiotics consisting of clindamycin and serum level-adjusted gentamicin. Forty-eight patients received cefamandole, 47 received cefoperazone, and 52 received combination clindamycin and gentamicin. Costs to the pharmacy for drugs were greater for the combination therapy; however, the higher failure rate associated with the cephalosporins created greater expenses for the single agent therapy than for combination therapy.