title: Clinical efficacy of carumonam.
abstract: Carumonam is a new N-sulfo-beta-lactam antibiotic active against aerobic Gram-negative bacteria. An open study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerance of carumonam with either 1 g t.i.d. (group A) or 2 g t.i.d. (group B) in bacterial septicaemia or severe sepsis. A total of 24 patients (14 men and 10 women) were included in the study, their ages ranged from 48-87 years (mean age 59). Eighteen patients were treated for bacteraemia, three for bronchopneumonia, two for urinary tract infection and one for a subphrenic abscess; seven were in group A and fourteen in group B; three were treated with a variable regimen. The pathogens isolated included E. coli [10], Klebsiella aerogenes [9], Enterobacter cloacae [3], Citrobacter freundii [2], Pseudomonas spp. [4], Providence stuartii [2], Serratia marcescens [1] and Haemophilus influenzae [1]. Clinical improvement occurred in all patients in both groups. One patient in group A and four patients in group B required further antibiotic therapy. The overall clinical cure rate was 84% and the bacteriological cure rate was 72%. Supra-infection occurred in three patients and adverse reactions attributable to carumonam were seen in two patients: diarrhoea (in one), and aggravation of renal failure in the other. Carumonam is well tolerated at both the dosage regimens; it is effective in the treatment of aerobic Gram-negative sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton, London, UK.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Drabu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehtar
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Blakemore
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001398:Aztreonam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: C044145:carumonam; D001398:Aztreonam