[Comparison of the effectiveness of ceftazidime and cefazolin/tobramycin in patients with inflammatory diseases of the lower respiratory tract]

Abstract

We compared the efficacy of ceftazidime and cefazolin in combination with tobramycin in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. Bacterial pathogens were isolated from sputum or bronchial secretions from 92 patients. The clinical results were identical in both groups: All patients showed an improvement of the clinical symptoms or were cured. 88% of the patients in the ceftazidime-group and 76% of the patients in the cefazolin/tobramycin-group showed an eradication of the pathogens without superinfection. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.095). Monotherapy with ceftazidime was clinically and bacteriologically as effective as a combination therapy with cefazolin and tobramycin.