A randomized controlled clinical trial on piperacillin/tazobactam versus ticarcillin/clavulanic acid for the treatment of bacterial infections.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy and safety of two beta-lactam-beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations, piperacillin/tazobactam and ticarcillin/clavulanic acid in the treatment of bacterial infections.


METHODS
A randomized, open-labeled, controlled study was conducted for the treatment of 124 hospitalized patients with lower respiratory tract infection and urinary tract infections. Sixty-three patients received piperacillin (4 g)/tazobactam (500 mg) every 8 hours by intravenous infusion and 61 patients received ticarcillin (3 g)/clavulanic acid (200 mg) every 8 hours by intravenous infusion. The duration of treatment was 7-14 days in both groups.


RESULTS
Sixty-three of 79 cases who received piperacillin/tazobactam and 61 of 84 cases who received ticarcillin/clavulanic acid were assessable for clinical efficacy. The overall efficacy rates were 90.5% for the piperacillin/tazobactam group and 88.5% for the ticarcillin/clavulanic acid group, whereas the bacterial eradication rates were 90.2% and 92.0%, respectively. 78 (77.2%) of 101 strains isolated from patients produced beta-lactamases. The adverse reaction was evaluated in 65 cases of piperacillin/tazobactam group and 62 cases of ticarcillin/clavulanic acid group. The adverse drug reaction rates were 7.69% (5/65) and 8.06% (5/62), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Piperacillin/tazobactam and ticarcillin/clavulanic acid were effective and safe for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections and urinary tract infections caused by beta-lactamase-producing strains. The results showed that there was no statistical difference between these two groups (P > 0.05).
Hou
F
F
First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100034, China.
Li
J
J
Gao
L
L
Chen
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019818:Clavulanic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010397:Penicillanic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010878:Piperacillin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000078142:Tazobactam; D013982:Ticarcillin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010406:Penicillins; D019818:Clavulanic Acid; D010397:Penicillanic Acid; D013982:Ticarcillin; D000078142:Tazobactam; D010878:Piperacillin