Efficacy of ampicillin and cefoxitin in the treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease. A comparative study

Abstract

Sixty patients with acute uncomplicated pelvic infection were treated with cefoxitin or ampicillin alone, the purpose being to show that a relatively cheap antimicrobial agent (ampicillin) could be used. The groups (30 patients in each) were clinically comparable (P greater than 0,01--Hotelling T-square test). In the first group 2 g ampicillin was administered intravenously on admission followed by 1 g intravenously 4-hourly, and in the second group 2 g cefoxitin was administered intravenously on admission followed by 1 g intravenously every 8 hours. A good response was obtained in both groups. On the basis of cost ampicillin would seem to be the treatment of choice in uncomplicated acute pelvic infection.