cefamandole and Hand-Dermatoses

A randomized, prospective study of 200 consecutive established hand infections was designed to compare the efficacy of two antibiotics, cefamandole and nafcillin. Bacteriologic data revealed 63.5% of the patients grew multiple organisms (2.3 organisms per culture) and 26% of the patients had anaerobic infections. Complications were noted in 13% of all patients--26% in patients who grew aerobes and anaerobes and 9.8% in patients who grew aerobes alone (p less than 0.05). Despite the fact that 95% of all organisms were sensitive in vitro to cefamandole whereas only 67% of organisms were sensitive to nafcillin (p less than 0.01), complications occurred more frequently in patients treated with cefamandole. We conclude that the empirical selection of a broad-spectrum antibiotic is reasonable based on in vitro sensitivity studies; however, other factors such as treatment delay, initial extent of infection, anatomic location of infection, cause of infection, and extent of surgical debridement are important in the development of complications.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Bacteria, Anaerobic; Bacterial Infections; Cefamandole; Clinical Trials as Topic; Female; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nafcillin; Prospective Studies; Random Allocation; Skin Diseases, Infectious; Staphylococcal Infections; Streptococcal Infections

Hand lacerations, especially when inadequately treated, may result in infections caused by aerobic or anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobic infections most commonly result from human bite injuries in which there is contact between hand and mouth. The search continues for an ideal antibiotic to employ when anaerobic organisms are suspected. In this study cefamandole, a new cephalosporin antibiotic, was employed whenever anaerobic hand infections were suspected following trauma. In each patient quantitative cultures for both aerobic and anaerobic organisms were obtained. All organisms isolated were tested by standard susceptibility assays for both aerobes and anaerobes. In the case of anaerobes, minimum inhibitory concentration assays were also performed. After the initial culture was obtained, each patient received approximately 1.5 gm of cefamandole every 6 hours for a period of 5 days. This therapy was changed only if susceptibility studies indicated resistance to cefamandole. In our patients, 58% of the infectious organisms were aerobic and facultative anaerobic and 42% were obligate anaerobes. The predominant organisms isolated were Staphylococcus aureus and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, which accounted for 42% of the infections. In most of the aerobic infections a single organism was isolated, whereas multiple organisms were identified in the anaerobic infections. All but one of the infections responded to cefamandole; the one that didn't was caused by Enterobacter cloacae and required treatment with an aminoglycoside. Because of its broad-spectrum coverage, which includes both aerobes and anaerobes, cefamandole is useful in treating infections, especially those resulting from human bites.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Bacterial Infections; Cefamandole; Enterococcus faecalis; Female; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Male; Peptostreptococcus; Skin Diseases, Infectious; Staphylococcal Infections; Streptococcal Infections