Systemic availability of prophylactic cefuroxime in patients submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Summary Cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermia (HCPB) is a procedure commonly used during heart surgery, representing a risk factor for the patient by promoting extensive haemodilution and profound physiological changes. Cefuroxime is used for the prevention of infection following heart surgery, and several dose schemes have been suggested for prophylaxis with cefuroxime. The objective of the present study was to assess, in a comparative manner, the systemic availability of cefuroxime administered intravascularly as a bolus dose of 1.5g to 17 patients having heart surgery with or without HCPB. Plasma cefuroxime concentrations were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography-UV, and the following values, expressed as medians, were obtained for the study group compared with controls: 69.1 vs. 62.7mg/L (1sth), 35.8 vs. 26.0mg/L (3rdh), 14.6 vs. 8.7mg/L (6thh, P P P