PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A. W. Chow
AU  - J. K. Ota
AU  - L. B. Guze
TI  - Clindamycin plus gentamicin as expectant therapy for presumed mixed infections
DP  - 1976 Dec 18
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 1225--1229
VI  - 115
IP  - 12
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/115/12/1225.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/115/12/1225.full
SO  - CMAJ1976 Dec 18; 115
AB  - The prevalence of obligate anaerobes was studied prospectively in 60 patients with severe sepsis of intra-abdominal, soft tissue, female genital or oropulmonary origin. In addition, the efficacy of clindamycin (for anaerobes) plus gentamicin (for aerobic bacteria, especially coliforms) as initial empiric therapy in these patients was evaluated. Among 54 patients with cultural proof of infection, anaerobic pathogens were recovered from 52%. Nineteen patients had bacteremia; Bacteroides fragilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most prevalent pathogens, being isolated in five patients each. Infection was eradicated in 56 of the 60 patients (93%). Mortality related to sepsis was 7% in the entire group, 16% in patients with bacteremia and 2% in patients without bacteremia. Eighty-five percent of aerobic isolates tested were susceptible in vitro to either gentamicin or clindamycin; 97% of anaerobic isolates were inhibited by 5 mug/ml of clindamycin.