title: Cefodizime once daily in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections.
abstract: Cefodizime (CAS 69739-16-8, HR 221) is a new third-generation cephalosporin with pharmacokinetic properties that make it suitable for once-daily administration in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Ninety-nine adult hospitalized patients (66 males, 33 females, median age 57.5 years) received a once-daily injection of 2 g cefodizime for LRTI. Median treatment duration was 8 days. Forty-two patients received cefodizime intravenously and 57 intramuscularly. Indications for treatment were as follows; primary lobar pneumonia (n = 36), bronchopneumonia (n = 14), secondary pneumonia (n = 3), aspiration pneumonia (n = 5), acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (n = 21), and of bronchiectasis (n = 9) and acute purulent bronchitis (n = 11). General condition was good in 29 patients and poor in 58; 12 patients were critically ill. The following pathogens were isolated at baseline (source: bronchial secretions, sputum or blood): S. pneumoniae (n = 47), Haemophilus spp. (n = 17), M. catarrhalis (n = 6), Streptococcus spp. (n = 9), Staphylococcus spp. (n = 5), Klebsiella spp. (n = 4), Pseudomonas spp. (n = 1), A. calcoaceticus (n = 1) and anaerobic organisms (n = 7). Fifty-nine patients were evaluable for bacteriological response and 82 for clinical response. Bacteriological outcome was satisfactory in 29/30 patients having LRTI with parenchymal involvement (97%) and in 29/29 patients without parenchymal involvement (100%). Clinical cure was achieved in 41/43 evaluable patients with parenchymal involvement (95%) and in 37/39 patients without parenchymal involvement (95%) in the per-protocol analysis and in 54/58 patients (93%) and 37/41 patients (93%), respectively, in the clinical intention-to-treat analysis. Three of the patients with an unsatisfactory clinical response died of infection during the study. Cefodizime was well tolerated. Adverse reactions--all of mild intensity--were tachycardia, lumbalgia and dizziness, each occurring in one patient. Cefodizime 2 g once daily either i.m. or i.v. was effective in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized patients.
authors.affiliation: Evita Hospital, Lanus, Argentina.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Piovano
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Palombini
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Dagrosa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Facco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D002439:Cefotaxime; C033356:cefodizime