[Influence of fever on cefotaxime pharmacokinetics]

The role of fever on cefotaxime disposition was studied in ten hyperthermic patients. Each subject received intravenously 1 g of cefotaxime on two separated occasions, first when the body temperature was more than 39 degrees C then during a basal state (37 degrees C). Blood samples were taken over 12 hours and urine was collected for 24 hours after injection. After dosing cefotaxime and its metabolite by high performance liquid chromatography, the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated, especially: plasma and renal clearance, volume of distribution at steady state, area under the curve, and elimination half-life. There is no significant difference in cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime disposition between these two states. Hyperthermia has no influence on pharmacokinetics of this cephalosporin.