Clinical efficacy of carumonam

Carumonam is a new N-sulfo-beta-lactam antibiotic active against aerobic Gram-negative bacteria. An open study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerance of carumonam with either 1 g t.i.d. (group A) or 2 g t.i.d. (group B) in bacterial septicaemia or severe sepsis. A total of 24 patients (14 men and 10 women) were included in the study, their ages ranged from 48-87 years (mean age 59). Eighteen patients were treated for bacteraemia, three for bronchopneumonia, two for urinary tract infection and one for a subphrenic abscess; seven were in group A and fourteen in group B; three were treated with a variable regimen. The pathogens isolated included E. coli [10], Klebsiella aerogenes [9], Enterobacter cloacae [3], Citrobacter freundii [2], Pseudomonas spp. [4], Providence stuartii [2], Serratia marcescens [1] and Haemophilus influenzae [1]. Clinical improvement occurred in all patients in both groups. One patient in group A and four patients in group B required further antibiotic therapy. The overall clinical cure rate was 84% and the bacteriological cure rate was 72%. Supra-infection occurred in three patients and adverse reactions attributable to carumonam were seen in two patients: diarrhoea (in one), and aggravation of renal failure in the other. Carumonam is well tolerated at both the dosage regimens; it is effective in the treatment of aerobic Gram-negative sepsis.