[Clinical study of cefmenoxime in thoracic surgery. Transfer of cefmenoxime to lung tissue and pleural fluid and prophylaxis of postoperative infections].

Twenty-six patients who underwent pulmonary resection for the lung disease were administered 1 g of cefmenoxime (CMX) by intravenous drip infusion just before the operation. The CMX levels in the serum, lung tissue and pleural fluid were measured using the agar-well technique. The effect of the drug on the prophylaxis of postoperative infections was investigated. The obtained results are summarized as follows; 1. The peak concentration of CMX in the serum was 58.23 micrograms/ml 1 hour after starting the drip infusion of 1 g of CMX. The serum half-life of CMX (beta-phase) was 2.15 hours. 2. The ratio of the CMX concentration in lung tissue to the peak serum level was 14.9% 202 minutes after starting the drip infusion. In the pulmonary lesion, the ratio was 9.72% at the 201 minutes. In the bronchiole, the ratio was 20.7% 191 minutes after starting the drip infusion. 3. The concentration of CMX in the pleural fluid was 2.53 micrograms/ml 12 hours after starting the drip infusion. 4. CMX is useful as a prophylaxis of postoperative infections after thoracotomy, because no postoperative infectious complications were observed.