[Studies on cefuzoname in the field of pediatrics]

Cefuzoname (CZON, L-105) a newly developed cephalosporin, has broad spectrum on Gram-positive or -negative bacteria and may also be effective against Staphylococcus aureus against which third generation cephalosporins are largely ineffective. We studied the pharmacokinetics and clinical effects of CZON on infectious disease of children. The diseases we studied included 2 cases of bacterial meningitis and 1 case each of viral meningitis, enterocolitis, upper respiratory infection, pneumonia, and mycoplasmal pneumonia. CZON was administered by drip infusion. Dose levels were 20-53 mg/kg/30-60 minutes, 3 times a day. For 5 cases, was studied time course of concentrations of CZON in plasma. Median T 1/2 was 0.96 hour. Concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were studied in cases of pneumonia and bacterial meningitis. In the case of pneumonia the CSF concentration of CZON was 0.272 microgram/ml after 45 minutes, in the case of meningitis they were 0.155 microgram/ml after 5 hours. Both of these values were higher than MIC of 0.025 microgram/ml against Haemophilus influenzae which was isolated from a case of bacterial meningitis. This MIC was lower than that of cefotiam and cefazolin, as well as of cefmenoxime. Clinical effects were excellent on pneumonia, good on upper respiratory infection, fair on mycoplasmal pneumonia. CZON, however, was ineffective in the treatment of a case of bacterial meningitis from which a susceptible strain of H. influenzae was isolated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)