Table 2.
Outcome and nephrotoxicity data for 92 solid organ recipients who received polymyxin therapy
| Variable | No. of patients or mean | % or range |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital mortality | 21 | 22.8 |
| 30-day mortality | 6 | 6.5 |
| Microbiological cure | 25a | 100 |
| Clinical cure | 71 | 77.2 |
| Graft loss in renal transplant | 5 | 5.4 |
| Acute pyelonephritis | 1 | 1.1 |
| Acute rejection | 1 | 1.1 |
| Chronic dysfunction | 3 | 3.3 |
| Mean serum creatinine level before polymyxin (mg/dl) | 2.22 | 0.7–9.6 |
| Mean days to nephrotoxicity | 11 | 3–24 |
| Nephrotoxicity | 30 | 32.6 |
| Hemodialysis during therapy | 15 | 16.3 |
a
Data were available for 25 patients with a culture result before polymyxin use. Twenty-four results were urine cultures, and for 1 patient, we examined a positive donor blood culture that did not become positive in the recipient.