[Laboratory and clinical studies of aztreonam in the pediatric field]

The authors have carried out the laboratory and clinical studies of aztreonam (AZT) and obtained the following results. The antibacterial activities of AZT against the clinical isolates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa were measured by the agar dilution method with inoculum size of 10(6) cells/ml. The susceptibility distribution of E. coli to AZT ranged from 0.025 or lower to 1.56 microgram/ml, and the peak of distribution was 0.05 microgram/ml. The peak of susceptibility distribution of K. pneumoniae was 0.025 microgram/ml or lower, and the distribution of P. aeruginosa ranged from 0.1 to 100 micrograms/ml higher and the peak of distribution was 3.13 micrograms/ml. After intravenous bolus injection of 20 mg of AZT in 4 children, the mean peak serum level was 117 +/- 35.1 micrograms/ml at 15 minutes after injection, and half-life time was 1.42 hours. The mean urinary excretion rates was 63.2 +/- 30.6% up to 6 hours after bolus injection of 20 mg/kg of AZT. AZT was given 11 cases with bacterial injection. Daily doses of AZT were from 41.7 to 94.9 mg/kg. Clinical results obtained were excellent and good responses in 8 of 11 cases (72.7%). No side effect was observed.