BACKGROUND: Acute pyelonephritis in women can be treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT), fluoroquinolone, aminoglycosides, second- and third- generation cephalosporins. The purpose of this study is to provide basic informations for the choice of the most effectve and economic first-line antibiotics among several agents to clinicians, who manage community- acquired acute pyelonephritis. METHODS: We investigated antibiotic sensitivities of 130 organisms isolated from urine culture of 165 patients, who admitted to Catholic University St. Vincent's Hospital due to community-acquired acute pyelonephritis from February 2001 to November 2002. All those patients had more than 105 cfu/mL on urine culture and we analyzed the usage of antibiotics and clinical course in those patients. RESULTS: Among 130 isolates, 120 isolates were E. coli, 6 K. pneumoniae, 1 K. oxytoca, 1 Enterobacter aerogenes and 2 Proteus mirabilis. Among 120 E. coli, the rates of resistance were 59.2% to piperacillin, 58.3% to cephalothin, 36.7% to sulfamethoxazole, 19.2 % to gentamicin, and 7.5% to ciprofloxacin in order. For 120 E. coli isolates, 100%, 99.2%, 99.2%, 99.2%, and 97.5% were susceptible to imipenem, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, amikacin, and piperacillin/tazobactam, respectively. Among 165 patients, 130 patients who had positive urine or blood culture, were divided into three groups according to the first-line antibiotics administered on the day of admission. Gentamicin (5 mg/kg q 24h) were infused to 90 patients, and 9 (10%) of 90 patients revealed clinical manifestations of therapeutic failure such as persistent fever and pyuria in group I. Cefuroxime were administered to 36 patients in group II and all 36 patients revealed evidences of clinical success such as defervescence and absence of pyuria. Intravenous antibiotics changed to oral administration of the first-, second-cephalosporin, and trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole in all patients except one patient, who received oral fluoroquinolone according to the results of antibiotic sensitivities. CONCLUSION: Cefuroxime, amikacin, and the third- generation cephalosporins showed excellent antibacterial activity against isolated organisms from women with acute pyelonephritis in this study, and gentamicin could be used as initial empiric regimen with careful monitoring of clinical response and antibiotic sensitivities of isolated microorganisms. These findings would be useful informations to physicians, who are trying to use low-priced antibiotics with narrow spectrum antibacterial activity, sparing more expensive and broad spectrum antibiotics in managing urinary tract infections.
Administration, Oral ; Amikacin ; Aminoglycosides ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Cefotaxime ; Cefuroxime ; Cephalosporins ; Cephalothin ; Ciprofloxacin ; Enterobacter aerogenes ; Female ; Fever ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Piperacillin ; Pneumonia ; Proteus mirabilis ; Pyelonephritis* ; Pyuria ; Sulfamethoxazole ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination ; Urinary Tract Infections

PURPOSE: This study examined the clinical effectiveness of parenteral cefuroxime and cefotaxime as empirical antibiotics for treating hospitalized women with uncomplicated acute pyelonephritis (APN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was based on the clinical and microbiologic data of 255 hospitalized women with APN. Of these 255 women, 144 patients received cefuroxime and 111 received cefotaxime. RESULTS: There were no marked differences in the demographic features, clinical characteristics, and treatment duration between the populations of the cefuroxime and cefotaxime groups. The rates of defervescence showed no significant differences in the two groups at 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours. The clinical cure rates observed at the follow-up visit 4 to 14 days after the completion of antimicrobial therapy were not statistically different between the cefuroxime and cefotaxime groups [94.9% (129 of 136) versus 98.0% (100 of 102), respectively; p=0.307], and the microbiological cure rates were also not significantly different [88.3% (91 of 103) versus 95.0% (76 of 80), respectively; p=0.186]. The median hospitalization periods in the cefuroxime and cefotaxime groups were 7 (6-8) and 7 (6-8) days (p=0.157), respectively. Microbiological success rates after 72-96 hours of initial antimicrobial therapy were also not statistically different in the cefuroxime and cefotaxime groups, 89.4% (110 of 123) versus 94.9% (93 of 98; p=0.140). CONCLUSION: Cefuroxime, a second-generation cephalosporin, is an appropriate antibiotic option for the initial treatment of uncomplicated APN and its efficacy does not differ from cefotaxime, a third-generation cephalosporin, in the initial parenteral therapy for community-onset APN.
Administration, Intravenous ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Cefotaxime/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Cefuroxime/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Community-Acquired Infections/*drug therapy ; Escherichia coli/drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Infusions, Parenteral ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyelonephritis/*drug therapy/microbiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects and pharmacoeconomics of single-dose of ceftriaxone versus 3-day cefuroxime prophylaxis in patients undergoing gastric or colorectal resection.

METHODSThree hundred and five consecutive patients with gastric or colorectal cancer from 5 medical centers were randomly divided into ceftriaxone group (n = 153, receiving intravenously 1 g ceftriaxone 0.5 - 1 h prior to operation only) and cefuroxime group (n = 152, receiving 0.75 g cefuroxime preoperatively and the same dose q8h for 3 d). The patients' intra- and postoperative status, adverse responses and infectious complications were observed and documented, and pharmacoeconomic parameters were analyzed.

RESULTSThe disease distribution, operative procedures and patients' conditions in the 2 groups were comparable. No adverse responses to the test antibiotics were observed. Postoperative infectious complications occurred in 7 cases in the ceftriaxone group (4.58%) and 14 cases in the cefuroxime group (9.21%), respectively (P = 0.992), among which, 12 cases were surgical site infections (incisional, intra-abdominal): 2 cases in the ceftriaxone group (1.31%), and 10 cases in the cefuroxime group (6.58%), (chi(2) = 5.607, P = 0.018). The direct cost related to prevention and treatment of surgical site infections was 283.5 RMB in the ceftriaxone group and 811.1 RMB in the cefuroxime group (Z = 14.51, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONBoth ceftriaxone and cefuroxime are safe and effective for prevention of surgical site infections. Single-dose ceftriaxone prophylaxis is sufficient for gastric and colorectal operations, with a better cost-effectiveness ratio.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; economics ; therapeutic use ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; economics ; Ceftriaxone ; administration & dosage ; economics ; therapeutic use ; Cefuroxime ; administration & dosage ; economics ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Surgical Wound Infection ; prevention & control ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Efforts to decrease the use of extended-spectrum cephalosporins are required to prevent the selection and transmission of multi-drug resistant pathogens, such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. The objectives of this study were to assess the clinical efficacy of intravenous cefuroxime as an empirical antibiotic for the treatment of hospitalized women with acute pyelonephritis (APN) caused by Escherichia coli. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical and microbiologic database of 328 hospitalized women with community-onset APN. RESULTS: Of 328 women with APN, 22 patients had cefuroxime-resistant E. coli APN, and 306 patients had cefuroxime-susceptible E. coli APN. The early clinical success rates were significantly higher (p = 0.001) in the cefuroxime-susceptible group (90.8%, 278/306) than in the cefuroxime-resistant group (68.2%, 15/22) at 72 hours. The clinical cure rates at 4 to 14 days after completing antimicrobial therapy were not significantly different in the cefuroxime-resistant or -susceptible groups, with 88.2% (15/17) and 97.8% (223/228; p = 0.078), respectively. The microbiological cure rates were not significantly different and were 90.9% (10/11) and 93.4% (128/137), respectively (p =0.550). The median duration of hospitalization in the cefuroxime-resistant and -susceptible groups was 10 days (interquartile range [IQR], 8 to 13) and 10 days (IQR, 8 to 14), respectively (p =0.319). CONCLUSIONS: Cefuroxime, a second-generation cephalosporin, can be used for the initial empirical therapy of community-onset APN if tailored according to uropathogen identification and susceptibility results, especially in areas where the prevalence rate of ESBL-producing uropathogens is low.
Administration, Intravenous ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Cefuroxime/administration & dosage/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Community-Acquired Infections/diagnosis/*drug therapy/microbiology/urine ; Databases, Factual ; *Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Escherichia coli/*drug effects/isolation & purification ; Escherichia coli Infections/diagnosis/*drug therapy/microbiology/urine ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Pyelonephritis/diagnosis/*drug therapy/microbiology/urine ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinalysis ; Urinary Tract Infections/diagnosis/*drug therapy/microbiology/urine ; Urine/microbiology