Ceftazidime, a new cephalosporin in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections: a comparative study with tobramycin.

Ceftazidime is a new synthetic cephalosporin stable to beta-lactamase. In an open prospective randomized study, the safety and efficacy of ceftazidime was compared to that of tobramycin. Fifty-one patients were treated with either ceftazidime (0.5 gm. intramuscularly every 12 hours) or tobramycin (1 mg. per kg. intramuscularly every 8 hours) for 7 to 10 days. Four patients were excluded from each treatment group, leaving 22 patients in the ceftazidime group and 21 in the tobramycin group. The groups were comparable in age, weight, underlying disorders of the urinary tract and distribution of bacteria. Cure was defined as sterile urine 7 to 10 days after treatment. The cure rate for ceftazidime was 73 per cent and for tobramycin, 62 per cent (0.6 less than p less than 0.7, chi-square test with Yates correction). Both drugs were well tolerated, but serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase rose in the tobramycin group. No patients had nephrotoxic reactions. We conclude that ceftazidime is a safe and efficient treatment of complicated urinary tract infections.