[The studies on clinical efficacy of Tomiron in the surgical patients: skin and soft tissue infection].

We studied the clinical efficacy and prophylactic effect of Tomiron (cefteram pivoxil; CFTM-PI), a new oral cephalosporin, in the surgical patients. CFTM-PI was administered at a daily dose of 300 or 600 mg after meals. Infectious diseases in 151 patients consisted of infected atheroma, wound infection, subcutaneous abscess, furuncle, phlegmon, mastitis, lymphangitis, periproctal abscess and biliary tract infection. Fifty patients were administered CFTM-PI to prevent secondary wound infection. The clinical efficacy rate was 75.5% in the treatment of infection and 86.0% in the prophylactic use. The clinical efficacy for skin and soft tissue infection was regarded as excellent in 25, good in 74, fair in 17 and poor in 8 out of 124 cases, with a clinical efficacy rate of 79.8%. The eradication rate in 40 cases of monomicro-bial infection was 97.4%, and in 12 cases of polymicrobial infection it was 72.7%. For biliary tract infection, the clinical efficacy was excellent in 1, good in 5, fair in 1 and poor in 1, with a clinical efficacy rate of 75.0%. Adverse effects were observed in 4 (2.0%) of 201 cases: allergic reaction in 3, and sleepiness in 1. Abnormal laboratory findings were observed in 2 cases, but it is not clear if these were due to this drug. These results indicate that Tomiron is a useful oral antimicrobial agent in the treatment and prophylaxis of surgical infection, mainly skin and soft tissue infection.