EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF CEFEPIME TREATMENT IN CHINESE PATIENTS WITH SEVERE BACTERIAL-INFECTIONS - IN COMPARISON WITH CEFTAZIDIME TREATMENT

An open label, randomized comparative study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cefepime, in comparison with ceftazidime, i n the treatment of adult hospitalized Chinese patients with severe bac terial infections. Forty patients with severe infections including sep ticemia, urinary tract infection and bacterial pneumonia were randomly assigned to receive treatment with cefepime (2 g intravenously every 12 h) or ceftazidime (2 g intravenously every 8 h). The cefepime group (20 evaluable patients) and ceftazidime group (16 evaluable patients) were comparable with respect to age, sex, underlying diseases and dis tribution of infection type. In both groups urinary tract infection wa s the most common type of infection and Escherichia coil was the most common etiologic microorganism. The rates of satisfactory clinical res ponse were similar in the cefepime and ceftazidime groups (95 versus 9 3.7%; 95% confidence interval: - 0.14 similar to 0.17, P = 0.87). The bacteriological response rates of the cefepime and ceftazidime groups did not differ significantly (88.9 versus 85.7%; 95% confidence interv al: - 0.30 similar to 0.36, P = 0.85). Both cefepime and ceftazidime w ere well tolerated, with similar incidence of side effects. The result s of this study suggest that cefepime is as safe and effective as ceft azidime for the treatment of serious infections in adult hospitalized Chinese patients. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.