Comparative clinical trial of ceftazidime and imipenem/cilastatin in patients with severe nosocomial pneumonias and septicaemias

Abstract The efficacy and safety of ceftazidime and imipenem in patients with severe infections was compared in a randomized multi-centre trial. Patients on assisted respiration with clinical signs of pneumonia or septicaemia who had been in hospital for at least 3 days were studied. Twenty-one patients were treated with ceftazidime, 24 with imipenem. The mean duration of treatment was 9 days in both groups. At the end of the trial 17 patients (81%) of the ceftazidime group and 16 patients (67%) in the imipenem group were clinically cured or showed marked improvement. The bacteriological results showed an eradication of the causative pathogens in 17 of 21 cases in the ceftazidime group and 13 of 19 in the imipenem group.