title: Pharmacokinetics of ampicillin, sulbactam and cefotiam in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.
abstract: As perioperative prophylaxis for major orthopedic operations 81 patients were given the fixed combination of ampicillin (1 g)/sulbactam (0.5 g) or cefotiam (2 g) as short infusions. The three beta-lactams were rapidly distributed into the different tissues and their pharmacokinetic profiles were found to be very similar. It was noteworthy that ampicillin, sulbactam and cefotiam penetrated within minutes, not only into skin, fat and muscles, but also into bone. Thus 0.25 h after starting the infusion the following mean concentrations were measured in bone: 21.8 +/- 10.5 mg/kg ampicillin, 4.9 +/- 2.2 mg/kg sulbactam and 19.4 +/- 10.6 mg/kg cefotiam. For a period of at least 2 h the concentrations measured in serum and in the different tissues affected by the operation (skin, fat, muscle, bone) were above the MICs for pathogens which are involved in postoperative wound infections. On the basis of pharmacokinetic data, ampicillin/sulbactam and cefotiam seem about equally suitable for perioperative prophylaxis in major orthopedic operations.
authors.affiliation: Pfizer/Mack, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wildfeuer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallwitz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gotthardt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hille
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dahmen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pfaff
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Göbel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D015310:Cefotiam / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007720:Knee Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013407:Sulbactam / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000667:Ampicillin; D015310:Cefotiam; D013407:Sulbactam