DOUBLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED STUDY OF 1 G VERSUS 2 G INTRAVENOUS CEFTRIAXONE DAILY IN THE THERAPY OF COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS

In a multicentre, double-blind, randomized study involving four genera l hospitals in Israel, the efficacy and safety of ceftriaxone 1 g/day i.v. was compared to that of 2 g/day i.v, in the treatment of moderate to severe community-acquired infections requiring hospitalization. Tw o hundred and twenty-two patients were enrolled; 112 received intraven ous ceftriaxone 1 g/day, and 110 received 2 g/day. The two groups were matched demographically, and their mean APACHE II score (10 points) a nd mean duration of successful therapy (7 days) were identical. The si tes of infection in the 1 g and 2 g groups respectively were lower res piratory tract in 57 versus 51 patients, urinary tract in 31 versus 40 patients, and soft tissue in 24 versus 19 patients. There were no sig nificant differences in clinical outcome between the 1 g and 2 g group s, the outcome being cure in 91% versus 86% of patients, improvement i n 3% versus 3% of patients, failure in 3% versus 8% of patients, and r elapse in 3% versus 3% of patients. The findings of this study indicat e that ceftriaxone 1 g/day is as effective as 2 g/day in the treatment of moderate to severe community-acquired infections, The low-dose for m is a more economical means of treating these infections.