Improved High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) Assay Method for Ceftizoxime

We improved a high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of ceftizoxime in human serum and urine using cefotaxime as internal standard. It employs a μ Bondapak Alkyl Phenyl column, elution with acetonitrile-phosphate buffer and measurement of UV absorption at 254 nm. Results obtained using the HPLC assay were compared to those obtained using a microbiological assay. The correlation coefficient was 0.987 (n:25). The method is rapid, accurate and reproducible with a sensitivity of 2.5 μg/ml of ceftizoxime. Cefotaxime and its major metabolite, the desacetylcefotaxime, can also be quantitated by this procedure.