title: Observations on the toxicity of the combination of gentamicin and mezlocillin in the treatment of patients with acute leukaemia.
abstract: In a retrospective study we have compared the toxic side effects related to the use of two antibiotic regimens in the treatment of febrile episodes in neutropenic, leukaemic patients undergoing first remission-induction. Nephrotoxicity was more severe in the gentamicin-mezlocillin (G/M) group: four patients developed oliguric renal failure and two others showed rises in the serum creatinine of more than 0.03 mmol/l. One of the two patients in the gentamicin-ticarcillin (G/T) group who showed nephrotoxicity developed renal failure. Ototoxicity and skin rashes were more commonly observed with G/M than with G/T, and the differences were statistically significant for both ototoxicity (P = 0.0004) and drug rashes (P = 0.02). The cause of the observed differences in toxicity has not been identified.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004338:Drug Combinations; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology; D004423:Ear / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008802:Mezlocillin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013982:Ticarcillin / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D005839:Gentamicins; D013982:Ticarcillin; D008802:Mezlocillin