[Ceftriaxone or combined cefazolin-gentamicin for complicated urinary tract infections]

40 seriously ill patients with complicated urinary tract infections were randomly assigned to receive either a single daily dose of ceftriaxone or combined therapy with cefazolin and gentamicin administered every 8 hours. The groups were of equal size, similar in age (both averaged 75 years) and the sex ratio was about 1:1 in each group. 32.5% had proven bacteremia and the overall mortality was 17.5%. Both regimens were similarly effective in terms of mortality, duration of fever (3.0-3.1 days), and sterilization of the urine prior to discharge from hospital. However, the single daily dose of ceftriaxone was much more convenient to administer.