CLINICAL COMPARISON OF CEFOTIAM AND CEFAMANDOLE IN THE PROPHYLAXIS OFRESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS FOLLOWING OPEN-HEART-SURGERY

A total of 416 patients undergoing open-heart surgery was treated with cefotiam or cefamandole in an open comparative study. The recommended dosage regimens were used for both groups (cefotiam 2 g every 8 h or cefamandole 2 g every 8 h). An drugs were administered within 30 min b efore the initial incision and were continued for 48 h postoperatively . The tolerability of both drugs was good and comparable. The percenta ge of patients with postoperative respiratory tract infection was 6.4 % for the cefotiam group and 10.2 % for the cefamandole group. The res ults of this study showed a better improvement of the patients treated with cefotiam (p < 0.06).