Failure of Excessive Doses of Ampieillin to Prevent Bacterial Relapse in the Treatment of Acute. Pyelonephritis

Abstract

To evaluate whether very high doses of ampicillin might be more effective than conventional therapy in eradicatins bacteria in patients with acute pyelonephritis, 34 affected patients were randomly assigned into 2 treatment groups. One group was given ampicillin in a daily dose of 30 g for 3 days and 20 g for 4 days without further treatment. The other group was given ampicillin in moderate doses for 1 mo. Out of 13 patients treated with excessive doses for 1 wk, only 3 were completely cured whereas conventional therapy cured 9 out of 21. Excessive doses of ampicillin given for 1 wk were not more effective but more expensive and possibly less beneficial than conventional therapy.