[Study on penetration of cefotiam into the cerebrospinal fluid]

Cefotiam (CTM) is a new cephem antibiotic which has potent activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We investigated the prophylactic treatment of CTM in orthopedic surgery and the concentrations of CTM Gram-negative in cerebrospinal fluid. The mean serum concentration at 2 hours after the drip infusion of CTM (3 g) was 28.28 +/- 5.48 micrograms/ml, and the mean concentration of CTM in cerebrospinal fluid was 0.58 +/- 0.07 micrograms/ml. From the result of multi-regression analysis in group I (12 cases, over 40 years old) and group II (10 cases, below 39 years old), it was suggested that the factor of age had a marked effect on cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of CTM. (Group I greater than Group II) High concentrations of CTM in cerebrospinal fluid after the 3 g-administration, exceeding the MIC80 for most causative organisms, suggested very useful prophylactic treatment of CTM in orthopedic surgery.