Clinical experience with cefotaxime in the treatment of serious bone and joint infections.

Cefotaxime, a new parenteral cephalosporin that is beta-lactamase resistant, was evaluated for safety and efficacy in 55 patients (at 22 hospitals) with serious bone and joint infections. Septic arthritis and bursitis and acute and chronic osteomyelitis were treated with 2-16 g of parenteral cefotaxime per day (mean, 7.45 g) for 4-54 days (mean, 22.8 days). Thirty-seven patients had underlying diseases or conditions, 13 patients had infections that were hospital acquired, and 39 patients required surgery. Staphylococcus was the most frequently isolated pathogen. Overall, 39 of the 51 patients who met all criteria for evaluation had satisfactory responses to cefotaxime. The drug was well tolerated by all patients. Further investigation of cefotaxime for the treatment of bone and joint infections is warranted.