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Piperacillin monotherapy compared with metronidazole and gentamicin combination in penetrating abdominal trauma

E H Sims1, M A Lou, S W Williams

  • 1Department of Surgery, King Drew Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059.

The Journal of Trauma
|February 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Piperacillin demonstrated comparable efficacy to gentamicin and metronidazole for abdominal injury treatment. Piperacillin showed a better safety profile, with fewer treatment discontinuations due to adverse events.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Surgical Infections
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Penetrating abdominal injuries often necessitate antibiotic therapy to prevent and treat infections.
  • Current treatment guidelines may involve broad-spectrum antibiotics like gentamicin and metronidazole.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of piperacillin versus a combination of gentamicin and metronidazole in patients with penetrating abdominal injuries.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 246 hospitalized patients with penetrating abdominal injuries.
  • Patients received either piperacillin (4.5 g every 6 hours) or combined gentamicin (80 mg every 8 hours) and metronidazole (500 mg every 6 hours).
  • Focus on patients with injuries to the colon, rectum, or terminal ileum (n=65).

Main Results:

  • An overall clinical cure rate of approximately 94% was observed in both treatment groups.
  • Piperacillin therapy resulted in no discontinuations due to adverse events.
  • Gentamicin/metronidazole therapy required discontinuation in three patients due to adverse clinical experiences or biochemical abnormalities.

Conclusions:

  • Piperacillin is a safe and effective therapeutic option for penetrating abdominal injuries.
  • Piperacillin offers a favorable safety profile compared to the combination of gentamicin and metronidazole, with a lower incidence of treatment-limiting adverse events.

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