Potential value of cefoperazone in bacterial meningitis: experimental studies.

To assess the potential value of cefoperazone in treating bacterial meningitis, its pharmacokinetics in the cerebrospinal fluid of rabbits were studied. Cefoperazone penetrated poorly into the cerebrospinal fluid of rabbits with uninflamed meninges, but in the presence of meningitis concentrations increased 2- to 3-fold. These concentrations were above the minimum inhibitory concentrations for the majority of Enterobacteriaceae, indicating the potential value of cefoperazone in treating bacterial meningitis. The half-lives of cefoperazone and moxalactam in cerebrospinal fluid, measured by a bioassay, were marked prolonged by meningeal inflammation. In contrast, the half-life of cefotaxime in cerebrospinal fluid was short. Consequently both cefoperazone and moxalactam provided significantly better antibacterial effect in cerebrospinal fluid than did cefotaxime.