title: Cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime in neonates and children: a review of microbiologic, pharmacokinetic, and clinical experience.
abstract: Over the past 5 yr, we have conducted two clinical and two pharmacokinetic investigations of cefotaxime (CTX) and desacetylcefotaxime (dCTX) in neonates, infants, and children. A total of 50 children with culture-proven bacterial meningitis were randomized to receive either 200 mg/kg/day of CTX (n = 23, mean age 24.4 mo) or standard doses of ampicillin (AMP) and chloramphenicol succinate (CAPS; n = 27, mean age 16.6 mo). Results were similar between the CTX and Amp/CAPS groups for clinical/microbiological cures (100% versus 96%, respectively) and for survival without sequelae (78% vs. 77%, respectively). All bacterial isolates were sensitive to CTX, and the comparison of the MIC/MBC values for CTX to the CSF bactericidal titers suggested antimicrobial activity for dCTX. In a second clinical trial, 20 infants (1 wk-3 mo) were treated with 200 mg/kg/day of CTX for Gram-negative enteric bacillary meningitis. Cultures of CSF obtained 24 hr after the initiation of treatment were sterile in all subjects. Survival and complication rates of 95% and 21%, respectively, were observed. This compared favorably to previously published experiences with alternate treatment regimens for Gram-negative meningitis in the newborn. In both meningitis studies, the safety profile for CTX was excellent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Kearns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008581:Meningitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D002701:Chloramphenicol; C029281:desacetylcefotaxime; D000667:Ampicillin; D002439:Cefotaxime