Preliminary experience with ceftazidime monotherapy in perinatal infection

Ceftazidime, a new cephalosporin antibiotic, was used as monotherapy to treat 75 term neonates with suspected perinatal bacterial infection. Septicemia was documented in ten patients (13%). Ceftazidime was administered as 25 mg/kg doses intravenously every 12 h. Peak serum concentrations at 0.5 h after dose ranged from 57 to 115 micrograms/ml and trough serum concentrations prior to next dose from 2 to 15 micrograms/ml. The overall clinical, bacteriological and laboratory response to ceftazidime was satisfactory and the drug was well tolerated. However, reservations with regard to study design, limited gram-positive drug activity and potential emergence of drug resistance require further well-controlled clinical evaluations of ceftazidime in neonatal intensive care units, before definite recommendations for the use of this antibiotic in perinatal infection can be formulated.