In this study intravenous ceftizoxime and intravenous ceftizoxime followed by oral cefixime treatment was compared with regard to clinical and laboratory responses of patients. Between March and June 1997, fifty patients who developed nosocomial infectious diseases were included the study. Twenty-seven patients had lower respiratory tract infection, 15 patients had urinary tract infection, and 8 patients had sepsis. Ceftizoxime was given intravenously in three divided doses for ten days to 25 patients who were randomly selected. To another group of 25 patients, ceftizoxime was given at the same doses for five days, then completed the treatment to ten days with per oral single doses of 400 mg cefixime. In the first group; 80% (20/25) of patients was treated successfully, 8% (2/25) of patients showed positive clinical response and 12% (3/25) of patients had poor results. In the second group, the results were 88% (22/25), 0%, and 12% (3/25) respectively. There was not a significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05) by the Fisher's exact test. Sequential treatment can be an alternative method in the treatment of nosocomial infections. It can reduce the staying time in the hospital, risk of nosocomial infection, and cost of the treatment. This treatment method is easy to apply. Further large scale studies in different patients groups are needed to reach statistically significant results. [Journal of Turgut Ozal Medical Center 1997;4(4):427-429[
KeyWords: Nosocomial infection, third generation cephalosporines, sequential treatment
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