Minimal nephrotoxicity with cephalosporin-aminoglycoside combinations in patients with neoplastic disease.

Patients with cancer and suspected sepsis were treated in a prospective, randomized trial with one of four cephalosporin-aminoglycoside combinations: cephalothin and tobramycin; cephalothin and gentamicin; cefamandole and tobramycin; or cefamandole and gentamicin. Carbenicillin was added if the absolute granulocyte count was less than 1,000/mm3. Of 199 patients receiving 20 to more doses of an aminoglycoside and having serial determination of serum creatinines, nephrotoxicity developed in seven (3.5%) given any of the four combinations. There were no significant differences between patients receiving either cephalosporin or either aminoglycoside. Nephrotoxicity developed less frequently among children (2 or 125; 1.6%) than adults (5 of 74; 6.8%).