Search

Bone concentrations of seven antimicrobial agents were determined after parenteral administration. Antibiotics were administered in large doses at customary intervals for 12 to 20 h before total hip or knee replacement; anticipated levels of each drug were achieved in the serum. Methicillin, carbenicillin, and clindamycin were detected in bone with greatest frequency. Cefazolin and gentamicin were each detected in bone specimens from only one of four patients. Neither penicillin G nor cephalothin was present in bone in sufficient quantity to be measurable. These data suggest that a number of factors, in addition to serum concentration, affect concentration of antimicrobial agents in bone. The clinical significance of the relationship between bone concentrations of antibiotics and therapeutic outcome is not certain.

N-Formimidoyl thienamycin (MK0787) is a derivative of thienamycin, a unique, new beta-lactam antibiotic. Its activity against 285 aerobic and facultatively anaerobic clinical isolates was compared with the activities of cephalothin, ampicillin, penicillin G, ticarcillin, and tobramycin. All of the 285 isolates, with the exception of 1 Staphylococcus epidermidis isolate, were inhibited by a concentration of N-formimidoyl thienamycin of less than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml. More than 50% of all isolates were inhibited by the lowest concentration of N-formimidoyl thienamycin tested (0.125 micrograms/ml); 98% of Staphylococcus aureus and 80% of S. epidermidis isolates were inhibited by N-formimidoyl thienamycin at a concentration of 0.125 micrograms/ml. Only 2 of 45 enterococci were not inhibited by 1 microgram of N-formimidoyl thienamycin per ml, and this drug was the most active agent tested against 162 gram-negative bacilli. It inhibited more than 95% of the gram-negative isolates at a concentration of less than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml. N-Formimidoyl thienamycin was as active or more active than tobramycin against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis and substantially more active than ticarcillin. All 16 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were inhibited by less than or equal to 0.5 micrograms of N-formimidoyl thienamycin per ml. The marked in vitro activity of this drug against a wide variety of clinical isolates makes it a promising new antibiotic.

A double-blind study with volunteers was performed to determine the incidence and severity of thrombophlebitis associated with cephalothin, cephapirin, cefamandole, and a water control. Although there were no statistical differences in the incidence of thrombophlebitis, cephalothin resulted in significantly more severe thrombophlebitis compared with the other agents.