[Study on the blood concentration and clinical efficacy of ceftazidime, a cephem antibiotic at dose of one gram q.i.d, for adult hospital-acquired pneumonia patients].

Ceftazidime (CAZ), a cephem antibiotic for injection, was administered at dose of one gram q.i.d. to adult hospital-acquired pneimonia patients, and the clinical efficacy and blood concentration of CAZ was studied in five cases. The assessment of clinical efficacy was "efficacy" in all cases, and early improvement of examination value including body temperature, the value of CRP, and white blood cell counts were obtained. Abnormality of hepatic function as adverse effect was noted in two cases. However, the severity was mild and didn't affect the treatment in both cases. The maximum drug concentration immediately after the end of infusion was 72.1-176.5 microg/mL (median, 82.7 microg/mL) and the trough level was 5.1-72.1 microg/mL (median, 26.6 microg/mL), therefore the blood concentration was maintained a higher level than the MIC of bacteria estimated to be causative. From these results, administration method of ceftazidime one gram q.i.d. was considered to be a good way with increase of drug efficacy by maintaining highly blood concentration over prolonged period, and expected to be a good effect for hospital-acquired pneumonia.