Effects of cefazolin and moxalactam on serum chemistry values determined by autoanalyzer

A study was undertaken to determine if cefazolin or moxalactam (LY127935), a new 1-oxa-beta-lactam antibiotic, would falsely elevate serum creatinine (determined by the Jaffé reaction) and other commonly determined serum chemistry values when performed by an automated method (Technicon SMAC System). In a balanced crossover study, each of six normal volunteers received a 30-minute infusion of 10 mg/kg of cefazolin, followed in two days by the same dose of moxalactam. The mean SMAC results for 10 common tests, including creatinine, determined from serum obtained immediately after each infusion exhibited no significant differences from the respective baseline values. Cefazolin and moxalactam did not falsely elevate any of the tests examined, including serum creatinine, and should not cause confusion in the assessment of the renal function of patients receiving these agents.