CLINICAL USEFULNESS OF CEFMETAZOLE IN NEWBORN AND IMMATURE INFANTS

CMZ is a derivative of cephamycin antibiotics having a potent resistance to β-lactamase, so that itexerts strong effect on β-lactamase producing resistant strain, and it is an antibiotic agent having wide antibacterial spectra. Highly effective and safe properties were proved and identified in children (Presented at 11th I.C.C.), so that a study group was organized to examine the usefulness of CMZ for the various infections of the newborn and immature infants. Blood level and urinary excretion: A half life (T 1/2) of the intravenously administered CMZ (20 mg/kg) in blood was 4.18, 2.39 and 1.78 hours in 3 days, 4 to 7 days and ≥8 days old newborn infants, respectively. Immature infants reveals longer T 1/2 by ≤3 days after birth but normalizes fairly soon. Urinary excretion of CMZ was examined in 10 infants up to 7 days old. The relation between the urinary volume and urinary recovery were well correlated. Clinical effect: CMZ was administered to respiratory infections, septicemia, meningitis, uriary tract infections, and other infections in 51 cases of newborn and immature infants. A daily dose, 60 to 100 mg/kg, was divided in 2 to 4 times, and administered intravenously. The causative organisms were E. coli, Klebsiella, Serratia and Staph. aureus and 97% of eradication rate was obtained. CMZ was clinically effective in 100% for respiratory infections (17 cases), septicemia (7 cases) and purulent meningitis (4 cases), and in 91.7% for UTI. The overall effective rate was 94.1%. No notable adverse effect was found. Cefmetazole is a safe and effective antibiotics in treating severe infections in newborn and immature infants.