Efficacy and safety of piperacillin/tazobactam in intra-abdominal infections.

Intra-abdominal infections are a serious problem for surgeons. Treatment consists of a combination of operation, antimicrobial treatment, and supportive measures. beta-Lactam antibiotics have a major role in the treatment of peritonitis, and in combination with beta-lactamase inhibitors, the penicillins have an even larger part to play than previously. A multicentre prospective trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of piperacillin/tazobactam in the treatment of serious intra-abdominal infections was conducted in Europe. One hundred and six evaluable patients with documented intra-abdominal infections were treated with piperacillin 4 g/tazobactam 500 mg every eight hours. The most common diagnoses were peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess, and complicated diverticulitis. A 90% favourable clinical response rate (cured/improved) was found during the first two weeks of treatment. Piperacillin/tazobactam was extremely active against the Gram-negative aerobic, Gram-positive aerobic, and anaerobic bacteria isolated in this trial. Overall, the drug was well tolerated and the side effects were minimal.