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

The authors have carried out the laboratory and clinical studies of ceftazidime ( CAZ ) and obtained the following results. The antibacterial activities of CAZ against the clinical isolates of S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae, E. aerogenes, S. marcescens, C. freundii and P. aeruginosa were measured by the plate dilution method with inoculum size of 10(6) cells/ml. The susceptibility distribution of S. aureus to CAZ ranged from 3.13 to 100 micrograms/ml, and the peak of distribution was 12.5 micrograms/ml. The peak of susceptibility distribution of E. coli, K. pneumoniae and E. cloacae was 0.2 micrograms/ml, and the distribution of E. aerogenes ranged from 0.1 to 100 micrograms/ml and that of S. marcescens, from 0.05 to 3.13 micrograms /ml. The growth of 92% of P. aeruginosa was inhibited at the concentration of 3.13 micrograms/ml or lower. For pharmacokinetic study, CAZ was given in a single dose of 10 mg/kg by intravenous administration for 5 minutes in 1 child and by drip infusion for 30 minutes in 2 children. After intravenous administration of CAZ , the serum level got to the peak of 41.0 micrograms/ml at 15 minutes, and was 1.0 micrograms /ml at 6 hours. Half-life time was 1.30 hours. With drip infusion of CAZ , the mean peak serum level was 52.45 +/- 2.05 micrograms/ml on completion of the infusion, and 1.05 +/- 0.05 micrograms/ml at 6 hours. Half-life time was 1.30 hours. CAZ was effective in 9 cases out of 11 cases with bacterial infection. No side effect was observed except for elevation of serum GOT and GPT in 1 case and eosinophilia in 1 case.