[Effect of cefotaxime on hemostasis]

We conducted hemostatic studies with 1,043 adult patients with various diseases who were treated for their infection with cefotaxime (CTX) in 368 hospitals throughout Japan. Underlying diseases in 1,012 patients were nonhematological disorders and those in 31 were hematological diseases. Thirteen (1.2%) out of 1,043 patients showed some abnormal results in blood coagulation tests following the administration of CTX. All the 13 cases with abnormal blood coagulation tests had poor dietary intake, and appeared to have liver damage before or during the drug administration, but in none of the cases which had abnormal laboratory findings were clinical bleeding symptoms observed. Consequently, we have concluded that the incidence of abnormal hemostatic tests following CTX administration is low, and that the appearance of abnormal tests is most likely dependent upon the condition of the patient.