Cefonicid, an investigational
cephalosporin with a half-life just under 5 hr, was studied by more than 100 investigators in the United States. Of 1,060
cefonicid-treated patients for whom the clinical efficacy of the compound could be evaluated, 91.7% were cured or improved; 95% received a single daily dose. Rates of bacteriologic cure were equal for
infections due to gram-positive cocci (89.9%) and gram-negative bacilli (93.2%). Overall rates of favorable response to
cefonicid therapy, by disease, were 88.4%,
urinary tract infections; 91.4%, lower
respiratory tract infections; 95.1%, skin and skin-structure
infections; and 91.3%, bone and joint
infections. Prophylaxis with
cefonicid administered 1 hr before surgery was as effective as that with control
antibiotic in reducing the incidence of perioperative
infection. For 795 patients who received
cefonicid or control drug who underwent
gynecologic surgery, prosthetic
arthroplasty,
cesarean section, or intraabdominal surgery, the reduction in incidence of perioperative
infections were equivalent. Resistance to
cefonicid developed infrequently (1.3%). Overall safety of
cefonicid was comparable with that of control agents except for the frequency of occurrence of
diarrhea, which was lower among patients who received
cefonicid than among those who received a control drug.