title: Empiric therapy for cancer patients: comparative study of ticarcillin-tobramycin, ticarcillin-cephalothin, and cephalothin-tobramycin.
abstract: Three combinations of antibiotics (cephalothin-tobramycin, cephalothin-ticarcillin, and ticarcillin-tobramycin) were administered empirically to 186 patients with cancer who were suspected of having a life-threatening infection. In approximately one-half of these patients, gram-negative infection was documented bacteriologically and consisted of septicemia in 50% of these patients. The three antimicrobial regimens were similarly effective and resulted in a favorable clinical response in approximately 55% of the patients. The administration of the cephalothin-tobramycin combination was associated with a significantly higher frequency of nephrotoxicity than that of the other two regimens.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D002512:Cephalothin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013982:Ticarcillin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D013982:Ticarcillin; D002512:Cephalothin; D014031:Tobramycin