Efficacy of a twelve-hourly ceftriaxone regimen in the treatment of serious bacterial infections.

Eighteen patients with 21 serious infections were treated with ceftriaxone, 1 g intravenously every 12 h, for a mean duration of 8 days. Eighteen gram-negative and two gram-positive organisms were isolated. Sites of infection included blood (three patients), urinary tract (six patients), respiratory tract (seven patients), biliary tract (three patients), ascitic fluid (one patient), and skin (one patient). Serum, bile, and ascitic fluid concentrations of ceftriaxone were in excess of the minimal bactericidal concentration required for the infecting organism in all cases. A bacteriological response was demonstrated in 94% of the infections. A clinical response occurred in four infections from which no pathogens were recovered. In one patient, ceftriaxone failed to eradicate a peritoneal infection due to Bacteroides fragilis. In two patients, superinfection with enterococci developed both during and after therapy. Systemic tolerance to ceftriaxone was excellent.