title: Comparative serum bactericidal activities of ceftizoxime and cefotaxime against intermediately penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: In a randomized crossover study involving 12 healthy volunteers, 1 g of ceftizoxime or cefotaxime was administered intravenously every 12 h for a total of three doses on two separate weekends. The duration of serum bactericidal titers (SBTs) greater than 1:2 and the time serum drug concentrations remained above the MIC (T > MIC) were determined against three clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae with intermediate resistance to penicillin. The duration of SBTs and T > MIC for both antimicrobial agents exceeded 50% of the dosing interval for all isolates. Ceftizoxime's T > MIC was statistically greater than that of cefotaxime, indicating that its longer half-life in serum (1.7 h) compared with that of cefotaxime (approximately 1 h) compensates for its slightly lower microbiologic activity against the penicillin-resistant pneumococci tested in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy, Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Nicolau
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Nightingale
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quintiliani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D015296:Ceftizoxime / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D015610:Serum Bactericidal Test; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D015296:Ceftizoxime; D002439:Cefotaxime