Ceftizoxime level in the myocardium (right atrial muscle and mitral papillary muscle) during open heart surgery.

We determined the level of sodium ceftizoxime (CZX) in the right atrium and mitral papillary muscle of 22 adults and 6 children undergoing open-heart surgery, 60 and 120 minutes after intravenous administration of this drug at the dosages of 2 grams for adults and 1 gram for children. The CZX level in the right atrial muscle after 60 minutes was 37.0 micrograms/g in adults and 51.0 micrograms/g in children. The CZX level in the papillary muscle of the mitral valve, determined at 120 minutes was 16.9 micrograms/g. In the present study, we measured the level of the antibiotic CZX in the myocardial tissue during open-heart surgery. The purpose of this was to determine the quantity in which the antibiotic is taken into the myocardial tissue.