Comparative studies of cefoxitin and cephalothin: an overview

A comparative study of the efficacy and safety of cefoxitin and cephalothin in the treatment of serious infections was carried out by 21 investigators. A total of 320 patients were treated with cefoxitin, and 276 patients were treated with cephalothin. In each group 50% of patients could be evaluated. Patients were randomly allocated to groups in open fashion, and final analysis showed that the groups were comparable in terms of sex, age, severity of illness, and duration of therapy. The majority of pathogens isolated were susceptible to both agents, although 13% of gram-negative bacilli and anaerobes were susceptible to cefoxitin alone. The overall percentage of patients cured or improved by cephalothin was 93%; for cefoxitin the proportion was 91%. No statistical differences in response by type of organism or site of infection were shown. Cefoxitin was effective in treating infections and in eradicating the pathogenic bacteria. Cefoxitin was as well tolerated as cephalothin and produced no more adverse reactions or abnormal laboratory findings than did cephalothin. The results of this study demonstrate that cefoxitin is as effective in achieving bacteriologic and clinical cures as is cephalothin and also is effective in treatment of infections due to cephalothin-resistant bacteria.