Tobramycin versus gentamicin, in combination with cephalotin and carbenecillin: Comparative efficacy and toxicity in patients undergoing marrow transplantation or intensive hematologic treatment

Thirty-six patients with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) or acute leukaemia (AL) undergoing marrow transplantation, were randomised to receive gentamicin (1 mg/Kg/iv q8h) or tobramycin (1 mg/Kg/iv q8 h) in combination with cephalotin (200 mg/Kg/iv in 6 doses) and carbenecillin (500 mg/Kg/iv in 4 doses) at the onsest of fever during granulocytopenia. Eighteen patients were allocated in the gentamicin group and 18 in the tobramycin group. The results of this study indicate that triple antibiotic therapy is effective in treating fever of unknown origin as well as documented bacterial infections in granulocytopenic patients, is not nephrotoxic and is equally effective irrespective of the aminoglicoside in the combination.