[Clinical evaluation of cefotiam in children (author's transl)]

Clinical trial of cefotiam was made in children and the following results were obtained. 1. Pharmacodynamic studies of the drug in CSF of experimental staphylococcal meningitis in rabbits showed a CSF/serum ratio of T 1/2 of 3.52, which was relatively high, but a percentage of CSF/serum ratio of AUC of only 3.42% up to 3 hours, suggesting a low efficiency of passage of the drug into CSF. 2. Blood concentrations of the drug were determined in children after an intravenous bolus injection of 20 mg/kg and were 46 mcg/ml (15 min.) and 26 mcg/ml (30 min.), T 1/2 being 40.8 min., Urinary recovery rate was 91.3% up to 4 hours in one patient and 61.9% up to 6 hours in another, respectively. 3. Thirteen patients with the following 14 episodes of infections were treated with cefotiam; urinary tract infection (5 cases), pneumonia (5), empyema (1), tonsillitis (1) and suspected sepsis (2). An overall efficacy rate was 100%, i. e., excellent in 12, good in 2 and no failure. No adverse reactions were clinically discernible and only laboratory abnormalities were transient or slight elevations of transaminase levels in 2 patients. 4. Based on the above results, it was concluded that cefotiam is a potent new antibiotic in the treatment of bacterial infections. Spectrum and antibacterial activity of the drug suggest that the drug particularly indicated for pneumonia.