Developmental pharmacokinetics of moxalactam.

A pharmacokinetic evaluation of moxalactam was performed with 30 infants and children with documented or suspected bacterial infections arising outside the central nervous system. Each child received 50 mg of moxalactam per kg infused intravenously over a period of 15 min every 8 h. A total of 26 children were studied after receiving the first dose; 20 of these, along with 4 additional patients, were evaluated after receiving continuous therapy for at least 3 days. After the first dose, the elimination half-life, apparent volume of distribution, and plasma clearance averaged 1.59 h, 0.331 liter/kg, and 100.9 ml/min per 1.73 m2, respectively. The biodisposition of the moxalactam epimers was also evaluated, with similar overall results. No differences in pharmacokinetic parameters were observed when the first-dose values were compared with those obtained at the steady state. Age-dependent changes in moxalactam elimination were observed for children of less than or equal to 1 year of age, suggesting that a dosage reduction may be necessary for children of less than or equal to 2 months of age.