title: Aztreonam.
abstract: Aztreonam, the first commercially available monobactam, has a wide range of activity against aerobic gram-negative bacilli. It can be administered two to three hours daily because its half-life is 1.6 to 2 hours. Excellent blood and tissue concentrations are attained. The MIC of aztreonam against most Enterobacteriaceae is less than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml and against P aeruginosa less than or equal to 16 micrograms g/ml. Aztreonam has been used in a wide array of infections of the urinary tract and respiratory tract, blood, intra-abdominal and gynecologic infections and infections of the skin, bones and joints. As empiric therapy, aztreonam is usually combined with another antimicrobial agent active against anaerobes and/or aerobic gram-positive cocci until culture results are available. One exception is empiric therapy for gram-negative urinary tract infections in which aztreonam can be used initially as monotherapy against susceptible gram-negative pathogens. In general, the efficacy of aztreonam is equal or superior to that of the aminoglycosides. Adverse reactions to aztreonam are unusual, and it as been shown to be a poor hapten, permitting its administration to patients with proven allergy to the penicillins and cephalosporins. Aztreonam is a useful addition to the available antibiotics for treatment of gram-negative infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tunkel
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Scheld
mesh_terms: D001398:Aztreonam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001398:Aztreonam