[Fundamental and clinical studies on cefixime in pediatric field].

Cefixime (CFIX) was evaluated for pharmacokinetics, therapeutic effectiveness on infection, safety, and bacteriological effectiveness in pediatrics. The following is a summary of the results. Pharmacokinetics in 4 children, 2 each receiving a single dose of 1.5 mg or 6.0 mg per kg body weight, were examined. Peak serum CFIX concentrations after the dose of 1.5 mg/kg were 1.12 and 1.34 micrograms/ml, and the serum half-lives were 1.83 and 3.53 hours. For the children administered with 6.0 mg/kg of CFIX, the respective figures were 2.50 and 7.46 micrograms/ml, and 6.77 and 6.64 hours. The 12-hour urinary recoveries were 4.9 and 34.1% and 9.4 and 25.4% for the small and the large doses, respectively. Therapeutic effectiveness in 19 children with infections was "excellent" in 14 and "good" in 5, with an effectiveness rate of 100%. Bacteriological effectiveness was evaluated in 10 children. Classified by causative organisms, 5 cases had H. influenzae, 2 each H. parainfluenzae and S. pyogenes, and 1 mixed infection by H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae. Only the H. influenzae in the child with mixed infection resisted the therapy, and all the other pathogens were successfully eradicated. No side effects were recorded. The only abnormal laboratory test finding attributed to CFIX was eosinophilia in 2 children.