A prospective randomized study comparing the efficacy of Timentin alone or in combination with amikacin in the treatment of febrile neutropenic patients

Abstract

One hundred febrile episodes in neutropenic (PMN less than 500/mm3) patients were treated with Timentin alone or in combination with amikacin. The overall response rate in 87 episodes was 82.9% with Timentin alone and 84.5% with the combination. Eleven out of 15 patients with septicaemia were cured by Timentin alone and 12 out of 13 by the combination, a response rate of 73.3% and 92.4% respectively (not-statistically significant P = 1.307). The rates of superinfection were low. Few side effects occurred. Timentin is a useful antibiotic in the treatment of febrile neutropenic patients and was, in this study, as effective alone as in combination with an aminoglycoside in the initial therapy.