Clinical and pharmacokinetic evaluations of ceftizoxime suppositories in children

: Ceftizoxime suppository (CZX-S) was evaluated for its safety, clinical efficacy and pharmacokinetics in pediatric patients. The Cmax, 4.8 to 9.5 micrograms/ml, was obtained 15 to 30 minutes after administration of CZX-S, and the serum half-life was 0.93 hour. Cross-over comparison with intramuscular CZX in a child showed approximately one-third bioavailability of the suppository against intramuscular injection. CZX-S was effective in all the 26 bacterial infections including acute pharyngitis, pneumonia, soft tissue infection, and urinary tract infections. The causative organisms were eradicated in 95%. Mild diarrhea (17%) was the only side effect observed in the study. The data suggest that CZX-S is an excellent alternative to oral and injectable antibiotics for the treatment of mild to moderate bacterial infections due to the susceptible organisms.