title: Clinical trials of extended spectrum penicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitors in the treatment of intra-abdominal infections. European and North American experience.
abstract: The clinical results with the beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor class of antimicrobials in the treatment of intra-abdominal infections are reviewed. The three agents now in clinical use--ampicillin/sulbactam, ticarcillin/clavulanate, and piperacillin/tazobactam--are effective against a broad variety of gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. The beta-lactamase inhibitor is an irreversible inactivator of beta-lactamase enzymes, which are produced by many gram-negative and gram-positive organisms. Randomized, prospective, clinical trials of each agent indicate clinical cure rates > 85% that are not significantly different from those obtained with second-generation cephalosporin or aminoglycoside plus antianaerobic comparators, with the exception of one study. Piperacillin/tazobactam has also been compared with imipenem, with equivalent or superior outcomes, depending on the dose of the imipenem comparator. Side effects in the non-penicillin-allergic patient are few. The incidence of abnormal renal function tests are generally lower than that obtained with aminoglycoside plus antianaerobic therapy. Introduction of this new beta-lactam antimicrobial group provides another important strategy for the adjunctive management of surgically treated, community-acquired, intra-abdominal infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine, USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Nord
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002170:Canada; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D047090:beta-Lactams
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D047090:beta-Lactams