Observations in man on some pharmacologic features of cefamandole

Comparative studies of cefamandole and cephalothin were carried out in 32 cancer patients. After rapid intravenous injection of 1 gm cefamandole or cephalothin, the peak mean serum concentrations in 11 patients achieved at 0.25 hr were 103.4 mcg/ml and 56.7 mcg/ml, respectively. Except at 6 hr, the serum concentration of cefamandole was higher (p less than 0.05) at all times. The terminal half-lives (t 1/2) were similar, being 1.2 hr for cefamandole and 1.0 hr for cephalothin. Cefamandole, 1 gm intramuscularly, induced a peak mean serum concentration of 26.6 mcg/ml at 1 hr, with a slow decay. Intermittent cefamandole (2 gm intravenously every 6 hr) induced very high mean serum concentrations (7 patients), but at 4 hr the concentrations were similar to those after 1 gm intravenously. Per cent of urinary excretion was similar for both drugs regardless of dose and mode of administration. Continuous-infusion cefamandole or cephalothin (2 gm loading followed by 2 gm every 6 hr) in 14 patients showed consistently higher serum concentrations for cefamandole (p less than 0.05) over a 5-day period. There was no evidence of drug accumulation in the multiple-dose studies. Both the single- and multiple-dose schedules were well tolerated.