Clinical experience with aztreonam in urinary and respiratory tract infections

Twenty patients with severe infection, 10 of the urinary tract and the other 10 of the respiratory tract, were enrolled in a clinical trial of aztreonam, a new monobactam antimicrobial agent. For the urinary tract infections, the mean duration of treatment was 7 days, with doses ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 g aztreonam intravenously twice daily. Sustained clinical and microbiological cure was achieved in 9 of the 10 patients. In the group with respiratory infections, the mean duration of treatment was 9.3 days, patients receiving 1 g aztreonam intravenously 3-times daily. Initial clinical cure was achieved in 9 of the patients, the tenth showing an incomplete response. However, bacteriological recurrence, related to the persistent nature of the underlying disease, occurred in 6 of the 10 patients during the 1-month follow-up period. The only side-effects were mild, transient biochemical abnormalities which did not require drug withdrawal in any patient.