Microbiologic and clinical studies with cefuroxime.

The microbiologic and therapeutic efficacy of cefuroxime, a lactamase-stable cephalosporin, was studied. Of the 2532 bacterial isolates of clinical origin, 80-95% of the E. coli, indole-negative Proteus, Klebsiella-enterobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, and 72-74% of indole-positive Proteus and Streptococcus B haemolyticus strains were found susceptible to cefuroxime by the disc method. Forty-three bacterial infections of 36 patients were treated; most of them were critically or seriously ill at the start of treatment. Half of the patients had failed to respond to previous antibacterial therapy. Cefuroxime was administered in doses of 750 and 1500 mg, three times daily, for an average of 11 days (6-37 days). Ten patients received an aminoglycoside in addition to cefuroxime. Forty-one infections of 34 patients were cured, one relapsed, and one did not respond. The pathogen was identified in 36 infections; in 34 it was eradicated. Cefuroxime was well tolerated by all patients including one with penicillin allergy. No side effects occurred except local pain at the site of i.m. injections in two cases. It is concluded that cefuroxime has a high efficacy against resistant strains and an outstanding value in severe bacterial infections.