Twice-daily moxalactam versus gentamicin and clindamycin in patients with penetrating abdominal trauma.

The effectiveness and total costs of moxalactam administered every 12 hours versus a combination of gentamicin and clindamycin for prophylactic use in patients with penetrating abdominal trauma were compared. Fifty patients scheduled for laparotomy after penetrating abdominal wounds were randomly assigned to receive either clindamycin phosphate 600 mg every six hours with gentamicin (as the sulfate salt) 3-5 mg/kg/day in three divided doses or moxalactam disodium 2 g every 12 hours. Therapy was begun preoperatively and continued for a minimum of three days in patients without hollow-organ injury and five days in patients with hollow-organ injury; total duration of therapy could not exceed four weeks. Patients receiving moxalactam also received phytonadione 10 mg intramuscularly once a week. Although wound cultures from several patients were positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and enterococci, no symptomatic infections developed. No direct toxic effects of moxalactam or gentamicin-clindamycin were seen; transient abnormalities in blood-coagulation tests or serum creatinine concentration occurred in several patients. Although mean drug costs per patient for moxalactam and gentamicin-clindamycin were similar, the mean cost of therapy per patient was $125.23 higher for the combination regimen than for moxalactam when laboratory, personnel-time, and supply costs were added to drug costs. Moxalactam given every 12 hours was a safe and effective alternative to the combination of gentamicin and clindamycin for preventive use in the study patients with penetrating abdominal trauma.