Clinical studies of cefazolin and comparison with other cephalosporins

Cefazolin, a new cephalosporin derivative, was studied in the treatment of 105 hospitalized patients with a variety of infections including endocarditis, pneumonia, and urinary and soft tissue infections, and was found to be effective in 104 patients. Cefazolin was also tested in vitro and shown to be effective against staphylococci, pneumococci, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., and Proteus mirabilis by agar dilution method. It was shown to produce high serum levels when administered in a 250- to 1,000-mg intramuscular dose and was well tolerated and free from renal toxicity. Comparison of the results of this study with those from our prior studies on cephaloridine revealed equivalent antibiotic potency, good tolerance to both the agents when given intramuscularly, superior, average blood levels with cefazolin, equal clinical efficacy, and absence of renal toxicity with cefazolin (unlike cephaloridine). Similarly, the results of treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia with intramuscular cefazolin were found to be superior to those for oral cephalexin.