Studies of intravenous cefoxitin (MK306).

The pharmacokinetics of cefoxitin, a new cephamycin antibiotic, were studied in six patients who were undergoing total hip replacement, and who were given cefoxitin to provide prophylactic cover at the time of operation. Later, the efficacy of cefoxitin was studied in nine patients with severe acute infections. The mean elimination phase half-life of cefoxitin which was obtained in this study (83 to 87 minutes) was significantly longer than that obtained in other studies. Cefoxitin was also found to be effective in lung and urinary tract infections against sensitive organisms. It was well tolerated, and the only side effect was that of phlebitis in long-term therapy. Cefoxitin may be valuable for prophylactic use in bowel and orthopaedic surgery.