The role of the laboratory in the planned use of cefoperazone for the treatment of difficult Pseudomonas infections.

Four cases are discussed illustrating the role of the laboratory in the treatment of difficult pseudomonas infections. Pseudomonas vertebral osteomyelitis, in a 76-year-old man with impaired renal function, was successfully treated with cefoperazone given for 7 weeks. A 73-year-old woman, who had recurrent pseudomonas septicaemia due to infected cardiac pacing wires (that could not be removed), was managed with long term daily intramuscular cefoperazone, and a 31-year-old woman with pseudomonas aortitis was treated with long term intravenous cefoperazone. A 47-year-old man, who developed a pseudomonas infection superimposed on chronic osteomyelitis of the femur prior to a free vascularised graft operation, was treated with cefoperazone and ticarcillin.