Ceftriaxone is an efficient component of antimicrobial regimens in the prevention and initial management of infections in end-stage renal disease

Background: Infection is a frequent complication in patients with end-stage renal disease. The most common organisms isolated are gram-positive cocci and gramnegative bacilli. Therefore, the usual initial therapeutic approach in these situations is the simultaneous intravenous administration of vanc omycin plus an aminoglycoside. This treatment's adverse effects include oto toxicity, nephrotoxicity, and less than ideal tissue penetrance. Methods: W e assessed the efficacy of intravenous ceftriaxone in the prevention and in the initial empirical treatment of infections in end-stage renal disease p atients, and tested the stability of blood levels of this antibiotic in thi s population. We studied 104 patients, 65 of them falling into the preventi on group (1 g of ceftriaxone i.v. for 5 days) and 39 into the treatment gro up (1 g of ceftriaxone i.v. or intraperitoneally for 10-14 days). Results: Peak serum ceftriaxone concentrations were well above the minimal inhibitor y concentration for 90% of strains. Trough serum concentrations of the drug prior to the next dose were also considerably in excess of the minimal inh ibitory concentration. In the prevention group, 8 of 65 developed an infect ion, which was sensitive to ceftriaxone, whereas in 22 of the 39 patients f rom the treatment group, cultures showed organisms sensitive to ceftriaxone and in the remaining 17 patients sensitivity was not done. Conclusions: Th e present study demonstrates the efficacy of a simplified dosing schedule i n achieving blood levels of the antibiotic well in excess of minimal inhibi tory concentration of any of the organisms encountered. It also shows the u sefulness of ceftriaxone in the prevention and/or treatment of bacterial in fections and the lack of the side effects vancomycin and/or aminoglycosides possess. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.