Bacterial peritonitis. Protecting the high-risk patient

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Infections
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Peritonitis is a serious intra-abdominal infection often requiring surgical intervention.
• Antibiotic therapy is crucial in managing peritonitis, particularly in conjunction with surgical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cefamandole, alone or with tobramycin, as an adjunct treatment for peritonitis.
• To assess the clinical and microbiological outcomes in patients undergoing laparotomy for peritonitis.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 88 patients with peritonitis undergoing laparotomy.
• Treatment involved cefamandole in combination with tobramycin.
• Clinical response, side effects, and microbiological susceptibility were monitored.

Main Results:

• A satisfactory clinical response was observed in 91% of patients.
• Cefamandole demonstrated susceptibility against 85% of gram-negative and 69% of gram-positive strains.
• Adverse effects included decreased creatinine clearance (16 patients) and elevated liver enzymes (10 patients).

Conclusions:

• Cefamandole, with or without tobramycin, is an effective and safe antibiotic for treating bacterial peritonitis.
• The combination therapy shows promise as an adjunct to surgical management of peritonitis.