Comparison of the serum bactericidal activity of ceftriaxone/piperacillin and ceftriaxone/netilmicin

Ceftriaxone. A reappraisal of its antibacterial activity and pharmacokinetic properties, and an update on its therapeutic use with particular reference to once-daily administration

Since ceftriaxone was first reviewed in the Journal, further studies have confirmed its broad antibacterial spectrum in vitro and extended its clinical documentation in comparative studies with other widely used drugs in infections of the urinary and lower respiratory tract, meningitis in infants and children, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, perioperative prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgery, and in several other types of infection. As in earlier studies, which primarily used a twice-daily dosage regimen, few significant differences were found between therapeutic groups in comparative studies and results have demonstrated the efficacy of once-daily ceftriaxone in all but the most serious infections, such as sole antibiotic therapy in pseudomonal infections. Wider clinical experience has established that ceftriaxone is generally well tolerated. Thus, ceftriaxone now has a well-defined place as an appropriate alternative for the parenteral treatment of a variety of infections due to susceptible organisms, as well as for perioperative prophylaxis of surgery, and may offer advantages of greater convenience over other parenteral antibiotics which are administered more frequently.

Serum bactericidal activity of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin in volunteers

The serum bactericidal activity of two newer quinolones, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin, against 206 clinical bacterial isolates was determined in six male volunteers after oral administration of either 500 mg of ciprofloxacin or 200 mg of ofloxacin respectively. The highest bactericidal titers were achieved against Enterobacteriaceae 1 h after ciprofloxacin administration, ranging from 1:121 for indole-positive Proteus species to 1:30 for Serratia spp. Ofloxacin generated lower titers, ranging from 1:14 for indole-positive Proteus spp. to 1:2.5 for Enterobacter spp. Only low serum bactericidal titers were found for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp. and gram-positive cocci. It is concluded that the activity of orally administered ciprofloxacin is superior to that of orally administered ofloxacin in the serum bactericidal test.