Timentin versus piperacillin or moxalactam in the therapy of acute bacterial infections.

In a randomized comparative study, 116 patients with acute bacterial infections were treated with timentin (ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid) or a comparative agent (piperacillin for respiratory or urinary tract infections, and moxalactam for soft tissue infections). There were 91 clinically evaluated infections (timentin, 46; piperacillin, 29; moxalactam, 16). Twelve patients were bacteremic. A satisfactory clinical response occurred in all 46 patients treated with timentin and in 42 of the 45 treated with a comparative agent. Two clinical failures were due to superinfection (a Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia in the piperacillin group and an enterococcal skin infection in the moxalactam group), and one clinical failure was due to a primary S. aureus skin infection (moxalactam group). One wound isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa developed resistance to timentin during therapy (despite clinical improvement). Adverse reactions were uncommon but did include one patient treated with timentin who developed unexplained hallucinations.