Comparative Study of Netilmicin/Tinidazole Versus Netilmicin/Clindamycin in the Treatment of Severe Abdominal Infections

Abstract

The efficacy of netilmicin combined with tinidazole (N+T) or clindamycin (N+C) in the treatment of severe abdominal infections was evaluated in a prospective randomized study with 20 patients in the N+T group and 21 patients in the N+C group. Normally the maintaining dose for netilmicin was 2.25 mg/kg every 12 h, for tinidazole 400 mg every 12 h and for clindamycin 300–400 mg every 6–8 h. The mean duration time of treatment was 8 days in the N+T group and 10 days in the N+C group respectively. In the N+T group 18 patients were cured and in the N+C group 17 patients. Among aerobic bacteria Escherichia coli was most frequently isolated and among anaerobes Bacteroides sp. All aerobic bacteria with 2 exceptions were susceptible to netilmicin and all anaerobic bacteria but 2 to tinidazole or clindamycin. Adequate serum levels were obtained for each antibiotic during therapy. In this study with a small number of patients the combination of netilmicin and tinidazole was as effective as netilmicin and clindamycin.