Cefepime versus Ceftazidime for Treatment of Pneumonia

Abstract

Consecutive patients with pneumonia, treated with cefepime ( n = 66) or ceftazidime ( n = 132), were evaluated in a retrospective, observational study. There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups with respect to age, underlying diseases, acute physical and chronic health evaluation score, intensive care unit admission, presence of sepsis, community or hospital acquisition, causative organism, duration of therapy, death, cure or improvement in infection, adverse events, superinfections, presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) and resistance to therapy. Post-therapy hospitalization (days) and vancomycin co-administration were significantly lower, and time to vancomycin initiation significantly higher, in the cefepime compared with the ceftazidime group. The results suggest a trend towards less resistance on therapy, less VRE, reduced vancomycin use and shorter post-therapy hospitalization in patients treated with cefepime compared with ceftazidime. The clinical outcomes for hospitalized patients treated for serious pneumonia were similar between the two groups.