The pharmacokinetics of cefotaxime and its metabolites in subjects with normal and impaired renal function.

The pharmacokinetics of single doses (15 mg/kg) of cefotaxime and each of its metabolites were examined in six normal subjects and 24 patients who showed various degrees of renal insufficiency. An additional nine patients with renal failure were entered into a multiple-dose study in which cefotaxime (1 g) was given twice daily for five to seven days. After intravenous administration, the levels of cefotaxime in serum declined in two phases. The half-life for the terminal phase was 1.10 +/- 0.78 hr. Cefotaxime administered intramuscularly was well absorbed from the injection site (91% +/- 19%) and produced maximal levels of 25.5 +/- 3.5 microgram/ml in serum at approximately 0.5 hr after injection. The levels of the desacetyl metabolite in serum were comparatively low, and the half-life of this metabolite was 1.3 hr. Microbiologic measurements of cefotaxime showed that the half-life of the drug was lower in normal subjects (1.71 +/- 0.90 hr) than in patients with severe renal impairment (half-life, 10.20 +/- 3.43 hr). However, this difference was due primarily to desacetylcefotaxime. Specific measurement by high-performance liquid chromatography indicated only a slight increase in the half-life of cefotaxime, whereas the increase in half-life of desacetylcefotaxime was greater. The most pronounced increases in half-life of metabolites occurred when values for creatinine clearance in patients were below about 5 ml/min per 1.73 m2. When cefotaxime was administered repetitively, the ratio of maximal serum levels after the last dose to those after the first dose demonstrated minimal accumulation of intact drug. The average accumulation of desacetylcefotaxime in this group of patients was about twofold, and that for metabolites M2 and M3 was approximately fourfold. This accumulation of metabolites was observed only in those patients with severe renal impairment and was not excessive. Hemodialysis caused a significant reduction in the half-life of both cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime. Recommendations are made for the adjustment of dosing schedules in patients with renal failure.