title: Single-agent versus combination antibiotic therapy in the management of intraabdominal infections.
abstract: For the treatment of intraabdominal infection, single-agent antimicrobial regimens such as beta-lactams with good antianaerobic activity are frequent alternatives to combination regimens such as aminoglycosides or aztreonam plus an antianaerobic agent such as clindamycin or metronidazole. The major issues in selecting a regimen are relative efficacy, potential for adverse drug effects, and cost. Single agents are clearly equivalent to combinations in preventing infectious complications after penetrating abdominal trauma and in treating established intraabdominal infections of mild to moderate severity or in relatively low-risk patients. A few trials demonstrated their equivalency in patients at high risk of mortality, although experience is limited. Single-agent regimens may reduce the risks of adverse drug effects compared with combination regimens, but they are not always less expensive.
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, Augusta.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: DiPiro
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Cué
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000382:microbiology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000187:drug effects; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents