Piperacillin v Carbenicillin in the therapy for serious infections
Marier, R.L.; Sanders, C.V.; Faro, S.; Janney, A.; Williams, W.W.; Derks, F.; Aldridge, K.E.
Archives of Internal Medicine 142(11): 2000-2005
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9926 PMID: 6215008 Document Number: 188868
There were 107 patients with either piperacillin (56) or carbenicillin (51) in an open randomized trial of hospitalized patients with pleuropulmonary (40), urinary tract (26), gynecologic (21), skin and soft-tissue (8), joint (5), bone (3) and miscellaneous other infections (bacterial) (4). Patients with urinary tract infections were given 150 mg/kg per day of piperacillin sodium or 200 mg/kg per day of carbenicillin sodium in divided doses every 6 h i.v. Patients with other infections were given 250 mg/kg per day of piperacillin sodium and 450 mg/kd per day of carbenicillin sodium; 53/56 (95%) patients treated with piperacillin and 45/51 (88%) patients treated with carbenicillin were cured clinically. In general, the drugs were well tolerated. There were, however, more adverse experiences in the group taking carbenicillin. Of special interest was the finding of liver function test abnormalities in 17/78 (21%) carbenicillin recipients (evaluative and nonevaluative cases). Thus, piperacillin evidently was effective and safe. It has potential for use in a great variety of infections.