A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF 2 ANTIBIOTIC REGIMENS IN THE TREATMENT OF PERITONITIS IN CAPD PATIENTS - TEICOPLANIN PLUS TOBRAMYCIN VERSUS CEPHALOTHIN PLUS TOBRAMYCIN

A multicentre, comparative, randomized study was performed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of two antibiotic regimens in the treatm ent of peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients: teicoplanin plus tobramycin versus cephalothin plus tobramy cin. After informed consent had been obtained, 68 patients were random ized prospectively to receive either teicoplanin plus tobramycin or ce phalothin plus tobramycin. Patients were followed throughout the study and for up to 4 weeks after the end of treatment, whet! clinical and microbiological parameters were assessed again. The incidence of clini cal failure was 4.6 times higher in the cephalothin plus tobramycin gr oup than in the teicoplanin plus tobramycin group (7/28 versus 2/37; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in bacterial eradication between the two groups. Local and systemic tolerability were good for both regimens. The study shows that teicoplanin plus tobramycin is mo re effective than cephalothin plus tobramycin and might become a 'firs t-line' treatment for peritonitis in CAPD patients.