Ceftriaxone therapy for serious bacterial infections

Ceftriaxone is a new semisynthetic cephalosporin with a very long serum half-life and broad coverage against Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Clinical and microbiological efficacies were evaluated in 51 infections occurring in 46 patients: 20 pneumonias, 19 urinary tract infections, seven soft-tissue infections, two septic arthritis infections, two primary bacteremias and one otitis media. The usual dose of ceftriaxone was one gram every 12 hours. Improvement of cure occurred in 92% of infections; microbiological cure occurred in 93% of infections. A mild rise in liver function tests occurred in 14% of the 51 infections but was not thought clinically significant.