Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Efficacy of Ceftriaxone in Chinese Adults

The pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone were studied in 5 healthy Chinese volunteers who received single doses of 1 or 2 g by intravenous infusion at 2-weekly intervals. Only 50 microliters of plasma was required for the determination of plasma ceftriaxone concentrations using an improved high-performance liquid chromatography method. The interday variation was less than 5% and the relationship between peak height ratio and concentration was linear over the range 1-500 micrograms/ml. The distribution of ceftriaxone best fitted a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were similar for the two doses. Furthermore, these pharmacokinetic parameters were similar in 20 adult Chinese patients who had received ceftriaxone, 1 g twice daily or 2 g once daily, for various severe bacterial infections. These parameters were, however, dependent on renal function. The rate of elimination and clearance of ceftriaxone were similar to the values reported for other nationalities. The therapeutic outcomes for patients receiving 1 g twice daily were two cures, three improvements and one failure, and for those receiving 2 g once daily, seven cures, four improvements and one failure. Once daily infusion of ceftriaxone therefore seems to be effective in the treatment of severe bacterial infections in Chinese patients.