Ceftazidime in the treatment of neonatal infection.

The efficacy of ceftazidime in the treatment of neonatal sepsis was studied in 42 low birthweight premature babies. Forty-nine courses of ceftazidime (25 mg/kg bd, iv or im were administered. In 19 babies, treatment was stopped after 48 h, the remainder were treated for 5 days or more. Six neonates had bacteriological evidence of infection, one other was pyrexial and 29 had radiological evidence compatible with respiratory tract infection. Eight of the study population died. Only one death was attributed to infection which arose 3 days after completion of a 5-day course of ceftazidime. Two babies developed clinical signs of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Clostridium difficile (7) and Cl. perfringens (2) were isolated from 34 post-treatment faecal samples but not from the two babies with NEC. No faecal sample contained Cl. difficile toxin. Post-treatment cultures from 12 neonates yielded ceftazidime-resistant micro-organisms. Ceftazidime therapy was not associated with significant alteration in serum alanine aminotransferase, urea, creatinine, protein or albumin. Four babies had an eosinophilia, three transient and one following two intrauterine transfusions. Coombs' tests were performed on 17 babies. There were no false positives. The abnormal clotting studies observed in one baby were not due to ceftazidime. In a concurrent pharmacokinetic study, the half-life of ceftazidime was 7.4 (SD +/- 4.1) h following iv administration. Other pharmacokinetic values were C max 74 (SD +/- 20) mg l-1 trough concentration 20 (SD +/- 10) mg l-1. Total body clearance ranged from 0.13 to 2.10 ml min-1 per kg and increased with increasing postnatal age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)