Polymyxin B and colistimethate are comparable as to efficacy and renal toxicity

Received 7 April 2009; accepted 15 July 2009. published online 04 September 2009.

Abstract

We compared 41 patients who received colistimethate with 41 who received polymyxin B for the treatment of serious infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. and found both polymyxins have similar efficacy and toxicity.

Keywords: Polymyxins, Antibiotics, Drug resistance

a Department of Infection Control of Hospital das Clínicas, Rua Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos, São Paulo-SP 05403-010, Brazil

b Department of Infectious Diseases and LIM-54, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 470, São Paulo-SP 05403-000, Brazil

c Department of Infection Control of Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo, Avenida Ibirapuera, 981, São Paulo-SP 04029-000, Brazil

Corresponding author. Tel.: +55-11-3069-7066; fax: +55-11-3069-7066.

PII: S0732-8893(09)00298-3

doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2009.07.018

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