[Use of cefotaxime in severe infections in newborn infants]

Twenty-seven septicemia, 2 urinary tract infections and 2 meningitis were treated with Cefotaxime. The pathogenic organisms were most often entero-bacteria (16 E. coli, 2 Klebsiella, 2 Enterobacter cloacae, 1 Proteus, 1 Acinetobacter); sometimes they were Streptococcus (5 Streptococcus D, 3 Streptococcus B, 1 Streptococcus Salivarius). Cefotaxime was given alone to 16 patients, in association to an aminoglycoside in 15 cases. It was administered by infusion over 30 minutes every 8 hours in a daily dose of 150 mg/kg (during 10 days in case of septicemia and during 18 days if it was a meningitis). A clinical and bacteriological success was obtained in 86% of the 22 cases caused by Enterobacteria, in one of the 5 septicemia due to Streptococcus D and in the 3 infections caused by Streptococcus B. It may be concluded from these results that cefotaxime may be used in neonate infection due to a Gram-. But when a Listeria or a Streptococcus D is discovered the ampicillin classically prescribed must be maintained.