Ceftriaxone. A reappraisal of its antibacterial activity and pharmacokinetic properties, and an update on its therapeutic use with particular reference to once-daily administration.

Since ceftriaxone was first reviewed in the Journal, further studies have confirmed its broad antibacterial spectrum in vitro and extended its clinical documentation in comparative studies with other widely used drugs in infections of the urinary and lower respiratory tract, meningitis in infants and children, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, perioperative prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgery, and in several other types of infection. As in earlier studies, which primarily used a twice-daily dosage regimen, few significant differences were found between therapeutic groups in comparative studies and results have demonstrated the efficacy of once-daily ceftriaxone in all but the most serious infections, such as sole antibiotic therapy in pseudomonal infections. Wider clinical experience has established that ceftriaxone is generally well tolerated. Thus, ceftriaxone now has a well-defined place as an appropriate alternative for the parenteral treatment of a variety of infections due to susceptible organisms, as well as for perioperative prophylaxis of surgery, and may offer advantages of greater convenience over other parenteral antibiotics which are administered more frequently.