cell count on the unspun ascitic fluid. Patients who had received Aminoglycosides are frequently used to treat sepsis in antibiotic treatment within the previous 3 days were excluded, as patients with liver disease. However, it has been sugwere those with a history of hypersensitivity to the trial antibiotics, gested that cirrhotic patients are particularly sensitive patients with a confirmed microbiological diagnosis at the time of to aminoglycoside-induced renal dysfunction. We invesrandomization, and those thought likely to die within 72 hours. No tigated the efficacy and incidence of renal impairment prophylactic antibiotic regimens for patients with variceal bleeding with netilmicin plus mezlocillin compared with ceftazior ascites were in use in the unit during this period. Patients were dime in 128 cirrhotic patients who required empirical randomized by sealed envelope technique using a code generated from random number tables. Ceftazidime was given intravenously treatment for sepsis. Renal impairment developed in 8 at a dose of 2 g twice daily and was reduced, if appropriate, in the of 63 (13%) patients receiving netilmicin compared with presence of renal dysfunction. Mezlocillin 5 g three times daily and 2 of 65 (3%) patients receiving ceftazidime (P Γ΅ .05); it netilmicin 3 mg/kg twice daily were also given intravenously. Trough occurred despite regular monitoring of trough netilblood aminoglycoside levels were measured at 24, 48, and 72 hours