Results of a randomized trial comparing sequential intravenous/oral treatment with ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole to imipenem/cilastatin for intra-abdominal infections. The Intra-Abdominal Infection Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: In a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial, ciprofloxacin/metronidazole was compared with imipenem/cilastatin for treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections. A secondary objective was to demonstrate the ability to switch responding patients from intravenous (IV) to oral (PO) therapy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Intra-abdominal infections result in substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost. Antimicrobial therapy often includes a 7- to 10-day intravenous course. The use of oral antimicrobials is a recent advance due to the availability of agents with good tissue pharmacokinetics and potent aerobic gram-negative activity. METHODS: Patients were randomized to either ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole intravenously (CIP/MTZ IV) or imipenem intravenously (IMI IV) throughout their treatment course, or ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole intravenously and treatment with oral ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole when oral feeding was resumed (CIP/MTZ IV/PO). RESULTS: Among 671 patients who constituted the intent-to-treat population, overall success rates were as follows: 82% for the group treated with CIP/MTZ IV; 84% for the CIP/MTZ IV/PO group; and 82% for the IMI IV group. For 330 valid patients, treatment success occurred in 84% of patients treated with CIP/MTZ IV, 86% of those treated with CIP/MTZ IV/PO, and 81% of the patients treated with IMI IV. Analysis of microbiology in the 30 patients undergoing intervention after treatment failure suggested that persistence of gram-negative organisms was more common in the IMI IV-treated patients who subsequently failed. Of 46 CIP/MTZ IV/PO patients (active oral arm), treatment success occurred in 96%, compared with 89% for those treated with CIP/MTZ IV and 89% for those receiving IMI IV. Patients who received intravenous/oral therapy were treated, overall, for an average of 8.6 +/- 3.6 days, with an average of 4.0 +/- 3.0 days of oral treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate statistical equivalence between CIP/MTZ IV and IMI IV in both the intent-to-treat and valid populations. Conversion to oral therapy with CIP/MTZ appears as effective as continued intravenous therapy in patients able to tolerate oral feedings.

Hypocalcemia during sepsis. Relationship to resuscitation and hemodynamics.

The ionized calcium (IC) and parathyroid hormone response to polymicrobial intra-abdominal sepsis and the relationship between IC and hemodynamic alterations with and without crystalloid resuscitation were investigated. Thirty swine underwent cecal ligation and incision (n = 19) or sham laparotomy (n = 11), with seven animals that had cecal ligation and incision administered Ringer's solution (50 mL/kg) after each set of measurements recorded on days 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8. An early decrease in mean arterial pressure and cardiac index in animals that had cecal ligation and incision reversed with resuscitation. The IC also fell early and parathyroid hormone level increased in both the unresuscitated and resuscitated septic groups. However, correlation coefficients of mean arterial pressure and cardiac index with IC ranged from .034 to .287 in the septic animals and were lower in the group that had sham laparotomy. We conclude that polymicrobial intra-abdominal sepsis results in decreased IC and an elevated parathyroid hormone level. Hemodynamics do not correlate with IC levels, and resuscitation can be achieved without calcium administration.