cefoxitin and Cellulitis

The efficacy of cefoxitin, a perioperative parenteral antibiotic, combined with mechanical bowel preparation and oral antibiotics to prevent wound infections and other septic complications in patients undergoing elective colorectal operations, was examined in a prospective randomized study. All 197 patients who completed the study received mechanical bowel preparation and oral neomycin/erythromycin base. In addition a perioperative parenteral antibiotic was given in three divided doses to 101 patients. The other 96 patients received no parenteral antibiotics. The overall incidence of intra-abdominal septic complications was 7.3% (7 of 96) in the control group (no cefoxitin) and 5% (5 of 101) in the treatment group (cefoxitin). This difference was not statistically significant. The incidence of abdominal wound infection was 14.6% in the control group and 5% in the treatment group, a statistically significant difference (p = 0.02). The addition of perioperative parenteral cefoxitin greatly reduced the incidence of wound infections in patients undergoing elective colorectal operations who had been prepared with mechanical bowel cleansing and oral antimicrobial agents.

Topics: Abscess; Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Colon; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications; Premedication; Preoperative Care; Prospective Studies; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rectum; Surgical Wound Infection

To compare the effectiveness of cefotetan administered at 2 g once a day with cefoxitin at 1 or 2 g three times a day in the treatment of hospitalized patients with skin and superficial soft tissue infections, 194 patients from eight centers were enrolled in an open, randomized trial. Most of the 104 evaluable patients in the cefotetan group and 50 in the cefoxitin group were young men with community-acquired, moderate or severe cellulitis, or abscesses of the upper and lower extremities caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus species, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Bacteroides fragilis and other species of bacteroides, peptococcus species, and peptostreptococcus species. The mean duration of treatment was 7.5 days for cefotetan and 7.1 days for cefoxitin. A successful clinical response was achieved in 97 percent of the cefotetan patients and in 94 percent of the cefoxitin patients. Of the 88 and 39 bacteriologically evaluable patients in the cefotetan and cefoxitin groups, respectively, a satisfactory bacteriologic response occurred in 96 percent and 87 percent of the patients. No clinically significant changes in clinical laboratory determinations were noted. The incidence of adverse reactions in the cefotetan group (17 percent) was significantly different from that for the cefoxitin group (6 percent) (p less than 0.05); however, the incidence of treatment-related reactions was not significant and the events were mild. Discontinuation of therapy was necessary only in two patients in whom allergic-type reactions developed. A once-daily regimen of cefotetan was as effective as thrice-daily cefoxitin in this study in the treatment of primarily polymicrobial, moderate, or severe infections of the skin and superficial soft tissue.

Topics: Abscess; Adult; Cefotetan; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Cephamycins; Clinical Trials as Topic; Female; Humans; Male; Random Allocation; Skin Diseases, Infectious

Cefoxitin and clindamycin-gentamicin were compared in a randomized study of antibiotic therapy for infections of the pelvis in 91 women. Clinical diagnoses included pelvic inflammatory disease (53), endomyometritis after cesarean section (24), and cellulitis following gynecological surgery (14). Treatment failures occurred in four (10%) of the 41 patients treated with cefoxitin compared with eight (16%) of the 50 patients treated with the clindamycin-gentamicin combination. Single-drug therapy with cefoxitin was shown to be as effective as the combination of clindamycin and gentamicin.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Clindamycin; Drug Therapy, Combination; Endometritis; Female; Gentamicins; Humans; Middle Aged; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Random Allocation

Ninety-three female patients with post-cesarean endometritis, post-hysterectomy pelvic cellulitis, and other miscellaneous moderately severe pelvic soft-tissue infections were treated in a randomized fashion with either ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid or cefoxitin. Of the 47 patients treated with ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid, 38 had clinical cures, four showed improvement, therapy failed in three, and two were nonevaluable, for a failure rate of 6.7 percent. Of the 46 patients treated with cefoxitin, 33 had clinical cures, five showed improvement, therapy failed in seven, and one was nonevaluable, for a failure rate of 15.6 percent. Bacteriologically, the addition of clavulanic acid to ticarcillin was found to broaden the antibacterial spectrum to include some Escherichia coli, most Klebsiella, many coagulase-negative staphylococci, and all isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Adverse reactions were few, with only one patient having therapy with cefoxitin discontinued because of side effects. It is concluded that ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid is quite suitable for antibiotic therapy of female pelvic soft-tissue infection, based on the (expanded) coverage of both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Bacterial Infections; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Clavulanic Acid; Clavulanic Acids; Drug Combinations; Endometritis; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Penicillins; Ticarcillin

A retrospective chart analysis of women undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy in Parkland Memorial Hospital indicated significant postoperative antibiotic administration. For that reason, we conducted a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine the incidence of infection and febrile morbidity in this patient population and to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative cefoxitin in modifying the incidence of these conditions. Three 2 gm intramuscular doses of cefoxitin over 12 hours significantly reduced the incidence of major infection to 12% from 32% observed in the placebo group. The mean hospital stay for women given cefoxitin (5.6 days) was also significantly reduced when compared to that for women given placebo (6.4 days). The incidence of febrile morbidity not requiring therapy was significant and was not altered by perioperative cefoxitin. Febrile morbidity was observed in 42% of women given cefoxitin and in 34% of women given placebo. Administration of perioperative antimicrobial agents is necessary for women undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy in our hospital, but we believe that individual determination is required.

Topics: Adolescent; Bacterial Infections; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Female; Fever; Humans; Hysterectomy; Length of Stay; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Postoperative Complications; Premedication; Prospective Studies; Random Allocation

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Cephamycins; Female; Fusobacterium Infections; Fusobacterium necrophorum; Humans; Metronidazole; Middle Aged; Palatine Tonsil; Pharynx; Sexual Behavior; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus oralis

Cefoxitin, a parenteral cephamycin beta-lactam antibiotic was prospectively evaluated as a single drug alternative in 31 children with cellulitis and the results of therapy were compared retrospectively with those from prevailing multiple antibiotic therapy for cellulitis in 56 children. Periorbital and lower extremity cellulitis accounted for more than 60% of the cases in both study groups. The most common bacterial agents included Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, and group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus. In as many as 50% of the cases, no etiologic agent could be found. In addition to blood cultures, cellulitis leading edge aspirate cultures were helpful in establishing the etiologic diagnosis. Of 52 patients sampled in the combined studies, 21% had positive aspirate cultures in the presence of negative blood cultures. The outcome and mean duration of hospital stay were similar in both groups. No severe adverse reactions were encountered. The mean number of antibiotics used in the retrospective study was three (range 1 to 7) whereas cefoxitin alone was used in the prospective study. All organisms isolated in the prospective study were susceptible to cefoxitin. Single antibiotic therapy with cefoxitin appears to be as safe and as effective in the treatment of cellulitis in children as multiple antibiotic therapy.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Child; Child, Preschool; Haemophilus Infections; Haemophilus influenzae; Humans; Infant; Male; Orbital Diseases; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Staphylococcal Infections; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus agalactiae

Cefoxitin sodium, a new cephamycin antibiotic, is active against many aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Four patients with infections of the head and neck (otitis externa with cellulitis, parotiditis, tracheitis, and facial cellulitis), who had failed to respond to initial antibiotic regimens, responded satisfactorily to cefoxitin therapy. No adverse effects were noted in any of these patients. Results of this report suggest cefoxitin is a safe and well-tolerated antibiotic that is efficacious in the treatment of head and neck bacterial infections that are sensitive to this drug.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Enterobacter; Female; Humans; Klebsiella; Klebsiella Infections; Male; Middle Aged; Otitis Externa; Sinusitis

Cellulitis due to Haemophilus influenzae type B in adults has only recently been reported. We report a case in which the patient's antibody levels documented an immunologic response to the organism. The efficacy of a new cephalosporin antibiotic, cefoxitin sodium, in treating this infection also was established. Cefoxitin has activity against ampicillin-resistant H influenzae and would be an alternative in treating H influenzae cellulitis.

Topics: Adult; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Haemophilus Infections; Haemophilus influenzae; Humans; Male

Cefoxitin (mefoxin), a new semisynthetic cephamycin antibiotic, resistant to degradation by beta-lactamase enzymes produced by bacteria. In vitro, cefoxitin is active against virtually all clinically important gram-negative facultative bacteria other than Pseudomonas and Enterobacter spp., gram-positive aerobic bacteria other than the enterococcus, and clinically important anaerobic organisms, including Bacteroides fragilis. This broad antibacterial spectrum suggested that cefoxitin might be an effective single antibiotic agent for the treatment of mixed aerobic-anaerobic infections in obstetric and gynecologic patients. In this investigation, the efficacy and safety of cefoxitin was evaluated in 109 patients--68 with salpingitis, 25 with endomyometritis, 9 with pelvic cellulitis, and 7 with pelvic abscesses. An average of 2.5 bacteria were isolated from each patient. Aerobic bacteria alone was isolated in 38% of patients, anaerobic bacteria alone in 25%, and a combination of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria was isolated in 37% of patients. Overall, 100 of 109 (92%) infections responded to treatment with cefoxitin alone. The major cause of treatment failure was the presence of abscesses requiring surgical drainage. In addition to being an effective single agent for the management of pelvic infections, cefoxitin proved to be safe and well tolerated by patients.

Topics: Abscess; Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Aerobiosis; Anaerobiosis; Bacterial Infections; Bacteroides Infections; Cefoxitin; Cellulitis; Cephalosporins; Female; Gonorrhea; Humans; Middle Aged; Pelvis; Salpingitis