Comparative study of parenteral piperacillin and cefoxitin in the treatment of surgical infections of the abdomen.

Patients who had contaminated traumatic perforations of the gastrointestinal tract and those with acute peritonitis resulting from acute surgical inflammatory conditions were treated with piperacillin or cefoxitin infused intravenously as single therapy for a minimum of five days. Thirty-four patients were given 4.5 grams of piperacillin every six hours and 26 patients, 2.0 grams of cefoxitin every six hours. In the piperacillin group, 63 organisms (34 aerobes and 29 anaerobes) were isolated from pretreatment cultures, while in the cefoxitin group, 73 organisms (35 aerobes and 38 anaerobes) were isolated. Clinical recovery was achieved in 31 of 34 patients receiving piperacillin therapy and in 24 of 26 patients receiving cefoxitin therapy. Organisms were found to be resistant to the respective drug in two piperacillin-treated patients and in one cefoxitin-treated patient, and the patients were given other antibacterial treatment. One patient from each treatment group died of causes unrelated to septic conditions. No serious adverse effects occurred from either antibiotic.