Cefoperazone: A review of its in vitro antimicrobial activity, pharmacological properties and therapeutic efficacy

Cefoperazone is a new 'third generation' semisynthetic injectable cephalosporin. It has a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity which includes Pseudomonas aeruginosa (unlike older cephalosporins), along with the Enterobacteriaceae and other Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. Unlike other cephalosporins, cefoperazone is excreted to a considerable extent by extrarenal mechanisms. Given by intravenous or intramuscular injection, cefoperazone is effective against a wide variety of infections caused by Gram-negative or Gram-positive aerobes, including infections of the biliary tract, and in many anaerobic infections. It is generally well tolerated, diarrhoea and skin rashes being the most frequently reported side effects.