[Clinical evaluation of cefpiramide in pediatric]

Cefpiramide (CPM), a new broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic with good antipseudomonas activities, was evaluated for its safety and efficacy in 20 children with bacterial infections. The diagnoses of the patients included pneumonia (10), acute bronchitis (1), streptococcal pharyngitis (1), purulent cervical lymphadenitis (1), urinary tract infections (2), acute enterocolitis (1), infections in agranulocytosis and acute leukemia (2), and acute purulent meningitis (2). Of the 20 patients, 17 were cured by the CPM therapy. The main etiologic pathogens were H. influenzae, P. aeruginosa, P. fluorescens, S. pneumoniae and E. coli. The serum half-life of CPM was 2.4 to 4.1 hours after an intravenous bolus injection. As an adverse reaction, diarrhea was encountered in 4 cases, and 1 of them experienced severe watery diarrhea with significant fecal colonization of K. oxytoca. The data suggest that CPM is an effective antibiotic when used in children with susceptible bacterial infections. Administrations divided in 2 to 3 dosages will be enough to maintain effective serum levels.