D. Winston, W. Murphy, L. S. Young
Aug 1, 1980
Citations
1
Influential Citations
105
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
The American journal of medicine
Abstract
Abstract Piperacillin, a new semisynthetic penicillin derivative, is active against many Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to carbenicillin and ticarcillin as well as being more active against organisms susceptible to all three antibiotics. It was evaluated as single-agent therapy in 59 patients, including 20 with septicemia. Despite the severely compromised condition of most patients (48 percent with rapidly or ultimately fatal underlying disease, 52 percent in critical or poor condition and 63 percent with renal failure), 89 percent of the patients responded favorably (infection cured or diminished) to piperacillin. Nine of 10 patients with previous aminoglycoside toxicity responded. Definite or probable side effects, usually diarrhea or hypersensitivity reactions, occurred in 12 of 59 patients but were mild and reversible. Piperacillin-resistant organisms emerged during therapy in seven patients and were associated with treatment failure in one patient and superinfection in four others. Piperacillin is effective therapy for serious infections caused by susceptible organisms, especially in patients in whom further aminoglycoside therapy may be undesirable because of renal failure or previous aminoglycoside toxicity.