[Cefotaxim for peri-operative short-term prophylaxis of infection in cardiac surgery. Concentrations in myocardial, pericardial, fat and skeletal muscle tissues].

Cefotaxim was administered intravenously in a dose of 50 mg/kg body-weight before and immediately after cardiac surgery. The drug's concentrations were measured in serum, myocardium, peri-operative fat, pericardium and skeletal muscle. The highest concentration was found 15 minutes after injection: 32 micrograms/g in pericardium, 22 micrograms/g in myocardium, 17.9 micrograms/g in fat and 12.3 micrograms/g in skeletal muscle. After 2 hours the average concentration in pericardium was 10.7, in myocardium 3.8, in fat 5.4 and in skeletal muscle 2.4 micrograms/g. The corresponding mean serum levels were 237.4 and 33.3 micrograms/ml, respectively. The tissue concentrations were thus high enough to be effective against infections caused by cefotaxim-sensitive organisms. There was primary wound healing in all 16 patients. No other infections, such as pneumonia or urinary infections, occurred.