Treatment of pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis with cefsulodin.

20 patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection underwent a total of 23 courses of treatment with a new cephalosporin, cefsulodin. The patients were given 100-150 mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses for 14 days, alone or in combination with tobramycin. Maximum serum levels were around 150 microgram/ml and 6-h levels above 5 micrograms/ml. 90% of the infecting strains were sensitive to 5 micrograms/ml in vitro. Apart from discomfort in direct relation to intravenous bolus injection the drug was well tolerated. Clinical improvement was pronounced, and in 5 cases. P. aeruginosa disappeared from bronchial secretions. Patients allergic to carbenicillin tolerated cefsulodin without signs of allergy. Cefsulodin thus appears to be an effective alternative to carbenicillin in the treatment of severe P. aeruginosa infections.