STUDIES OF CEFUROXIME

Abstract

Cefuroxime, a new antibiotic, was studied for antibacterial activity, absorption/excretion, and clinical effectiveness for the purpose of assessment of its clinical importance, and the following findings were obtained.
1. With our recent clinical isolates, 86.0% of S. aureus strains was sensitive to cefuroxime at 1.56-3.13μg/ml while the entire strains of S. pyogenes and 79.0% of E. coli strains were sensitive at 0.39μg/ml and at 3.13-12.5μg/ml respectively. The sensitivity of 93.5% of Klebsiella spp. strains was distributed at ≤12.5μg/ml; cefuroxime was less active than cefotiam, but far more active than cefoxitin, cefazolin and cephalothin. Also, 62.5% of Enterobacter strains was sensitive to cefuroxime at 25μg/ml; cefuroxime showed higher sensitivity than all the other cephalosporins tested. Of Proteus group, CXM showed good MICs to P. rettgeri but poor MIC to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens.
2. Cefuroxime 1.5g were administered by intravenous drip infusion to healthy women and women in terminal stage of pregnancy. Their respective blood level peaks were at 65.0μg/ml and 56.0μg/ml, and the blood levels were proved after 8 hours. Their urinary excretions in 0-12 hours showed 94.8% and 74.1% respectively.
3. Cefuroxime 1.5-6.0g/day were administered for 3-12 days to 6 female cases with pelvic infection and 8 females with urinary tract infection. Of these 14 cases in total (puerperal intra-uterine infection, pelvic peritonitis, adnexitis, and upper and lower urinary tract infection), 4 cases responded excellent to cefuroxime, and 6 cases good. No noteworthy side effect was noted at cefuroxime treat ment, nor significant influence was seen on laboratory examination before and after the treatment.