Determination of third-generation cephalosporins by high-performance liquid chromatography in connection with pharmacokinetic studies.

The third-generation cephalosporins are semisynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics, including several oral and parental agents with extended activity against Gram-negative pathogens. They are generally determined either by microbiological techniques or by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The major drawback or bioassays is the lack of specificity, especially when a biotransformation of the cephalosporin molecule leads to active metabolites, or when the antibacterial therapy is based on association with drugs. Thus, for many years, numerous reversed-phase HPLC procedures have been proposed to overcome these difficulties. This review presents different HPLC methods proposed for the quantification in biological fluids of fourteen third-generation cephalosporins, ranged between parenteral and oral compounds. The sensitivity and specificity of these chromatographic procedures are discussed with regard to the pharmacokinetic properties of the antibiotics studied.