[Evaluation of the clinical effects of cefotiam against infections in neonates and premature infants].

Using cefotiam (CTM) against infections in neonates and premature infants, we obtained the following results: With intravenous administration of the drug to 2 cases each of pyoderma, pneumonia, and fetal infection, the drug was effective in all the cases except in 1 premature infant with pneumonia. Dose levels at individual injections were between 18.6 and 27.8 mg/kg, per dose, with an exception in 1 case of pyoderma (36.4-54.5 mg/kg), and 2 to 4 doses per day were given to each patient. For prophylactic purposes, the drug was administered to 1 case of turbid amniotic fluid and 3 cases of massive aspiration syndrome, and no infection was observed in any case. In a total of 11 cases consisting of the above mentioned 10 cases and an additional case which had been excluded from the evaluation because of the detection of P. aeruginosa, neither side effects nor abnormal laboratory values were recognized. In 5 cases of 4 to 31-day old infants, CTM concentrations in blood were measured after one-time intravenous injection of the drug at a dose level of about 20 mg/kg. Blood concentrations of CTM were low in 1 case with levels of 14.4 and 4.5 micrograms/ml at 30 minutes and 2 hours after the intravenous injection, respectively, whereas they were high in another case with readings of 82 and 65 micrograms/ml. In the remaining 3 cases, however, 30-minute and 2-hour values were between 41 to 52, and 13.5 to 22.8 micrograms/ml, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)