A comparison of monobactam antibiotics in surgical infections

Combination antibiotic therapy in the management of intra-abdominal infection

Combination antimicrobial regimens consisting of an agent with activity against gram-negative bacilli (an aminoglycoside) plus an agent with anaerobic activity (usually clindamycin or metronidazole) have traditionally been accepted as the standards for the treatment of intra-abdominal infection. Because of the problems of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity in patients treated with aminoglycosides, clinical trials have been conducted using alternative combination therapy (e.g., aztreonam plus clindamycin) or single beta-lactam antimicrobial agents. Most clinical trials of intra-abdominal infections have been conducted in relatively small patient populations with a variety of low- and high-risk patients. The newer regimens have demonstrated efficacy equivalent to traditional combination therapy in selected patient populations. When selecting an antimicrobial regimen for treatment of intra-abdominal infection, multiple issues should be considered, including demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials, potential for adverse effects, and cost.

Tolerance to aztreonam in patients allergic to beta-lactam antibiotics

To evaluate the safe use of aztreonam (AZT) in patients allergic to penicillins and other beta-lactam antibiotics we studied 29 patients from a group of subjects allergic to beta-lactams, diagnosed by presenting systemic reactions after skin tests or challenge tests. Skin tests with benzylpenicilloyl (BPO), benzylpenicilloate, benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephamandole and AZT, radioallergosorbent test (RAST) to BPO and AZT, RAST inhibition and challenge tests were performed. One patient was skin test-positive to AZT, another patient was RAST AZT-positive. IgE antibodies were specific to AZT as demonstrated by RAST inhibition studies with AZT coupled to epsilon-amino caproic acid. Nevertheless, AZT was unable to inhibit either a pool of sera or individual sera positive to BPO. Although all our 29 patients tolerated the administration of AZT (including those with skin test or RAST positive) and AZT appears to be safe in these subjects, this does not indicate that all beta-lactam-allergic patients tolerate AZT administration.