Pivmecillinam in the treatment of post-operative bacteriuria in gynecological patients

Abstract

Pivmecillinam is a β-lactam antibiotic belonging to a new class of penicillanic acid derivatives which differ fundamentally from conventional penicillins in their mode of action and bacteriological spectrum. This new drug was compared to pivampicillin in the treatment of gynecological patients with bacteriuria at removal of an indwelling catheter 3 to 4 days after surgery for prolapse or stress-incontinence. In a double-blind study 39 patients received pivmecillinam and 36 pivampicillin for 7 days. Significant bacteriuria pre-treatment was found in 52% of the patients and the causative organisms belonged almost exclusively to the Enterobacteriaceae. After treatnebt akk 17 patients in the pivmecillinam group and 6 out of 14 patients in the pivampicillin group were cured with respect to bacteriuria caused by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella or Proteus. This difference is statistically significant. No side effects were observed in any of the patients treatment with pivmecillinam.