Twenty-nine patients with
cystic fibrosis received either
cefsulodin or a reference agent (
tobramycin or
ticarcillin) in a randomized manner for treatment of pulmonary
infections associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Patients ranged in age from 12 to 30 years. Their
infections were classified as mild (six), moderate (16), or severe (seven). Fourteen patients received
cefsulodin, 14 patients were treated with
tobramycin, and one patient received
ticarcillin. Significant clinical improvement was noted in the majority of patients in both groups. Adverse effects and development of laboratory abnormalities were uncommon in both groups. P. aeruginosa was not permanently eradicated from the sputum of any of the patients. Resistance as measured by disk susceptibility testing may have developed during and immediately after
therapy in the
cefsulodin group but not in those treated with reference agents. However, this did not appear to affect the clinical outcome. Results of the nonrandomized portion of this multicenter study, in which 46 patients were treated with
cefsulodin, were similar to those for the randomized group. Thus,
cefsulodin was shown to be as clinically effective as the reference agents in the treatment of lower
respiratory tract infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with
cystic fibrosis.