A comparison of netilmicin and gentamicin in the treatment of pelvic infections

Abstract

Seventy-five women admitted with the symptom complex suggestive of pelvic inflammatory disease( PID) were started on a penicillin-aminoglycoside antibiotic regimen. An aminoglycoside, gentamicin or netilmicin (Schering-Plough), was chosen randomly and given parenterally. Forty-two patients received netilmicin and 33 received gentamicin for 5 days. Therapeutic response to the 2 antibiotic regimens was similar. Aminoglycosides have been associated with both nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Blood chemistries were studied in all patients. The only manifested toxicity was in 2 patients treated with gentamicin. Endometrial-endocervical cultures were obtained before and after therapy. The microbacteria isolated by standard culture techniques before therapy revealed Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 69% and 51% of the netilmicin and gentamicin groups, respectively; anaerobic organisms were cultured in about 75% of each group.