title: Treatment of bacterial meningitis with ceftazidime.
abstract: Ceftazidime was prospectively evaluated in the treatment of bacterial meningitis in 19 pediatric patients. Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB) was the etiologic agent in 17 patients, and Streptococcus pneumonia and Neisseria meningitidis were the etiologic agents in one patient each. Ceftazidime was administered intravenously in a dosage of 150 mg/kg/day divided into eight hourly doses for a mean of 15 days (range, 14 to 22 days) for H. influenzae type b meningitis. The clinical and microbiologic response was appropriate in all cases. The mean ceftazidime CSF concentration was 6.7 micrograms/ml at approximately 2 hours following iv infusions. This concentration was 16- to greater than 100-fold the minimal bactericidal concentration determined for the isolated pathogens. These preliminary observations support ceftazidime as a candidate cephalosporin for the treatment of bacterial meningitis caused by H. influenzae. Additional study is required to further define its role in meningitis caused by S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002442:Ceftazidime / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000188:drug therapy; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000188:drug therapy; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000188:drug therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002442:Ceftazidime