cefetamet and Kidney-Diseases

Cefetamet pivoxil belongs to the class of orally absorbed pro-drug esters which are hydrolyzed to the active compound (cefetamet) on their first pass through the gut wall and/or the liver. The intravenously administered cefetamet is eliminated predominantly unchanged in the urine by glomerular filtration. Systemic and renal clearance values for cefetamet were 140 and 130 ml/min, respectively. The plasma protein binding is 22%, whereby the only binding protein is albumin. The steady state volume of distribution (0.29 l/kg) corresponds roughly to the extracellular water space which is consistent with other low protein-bound cephalosporins. In general, after intravenous doses, cefetamet follows the kinetic behaviour of a cephalosporin with low protein binding, limited non-renal clearance, and renal clearance that is predominantly due to glomerular filtration, e.g. ceftizoxime, ceftazidime. After oral administration, cefetamet pivoxil shows a significant food effect (F = 41% vs 51%). Hence, cefetamet pivoxil is recommended to be taken after food. The food effect, however, is not of such a magnitude that it will be of clinical consequence when this recommendation is not followed. The food effect is not related to a change in gastric pH because antacids and ranitidine do not affect the absorption of cefetamet pivoxil, although in approximately 20% of the subjects absorption of the drug is delayed. The elimination of cefetamet is directly proportional to renal function. In patients with varying degrees of renal insufficiencies, dosage should be decreased accordingly. Age has no effect on the bioavailability of cefetamet pivoxil. However, the clearance of cefetamet is higher in children and lower in the elderly.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Age Factors; Aged; Ceftizoxime; Child; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Intestinal Absorption; Kidney Diseases

The pharmacokinetics of cefetamet after a short intravenous infusion of cefetamet (515 mg) and oral administration of 1,000 mg of cefetamet pivoxil were studied in 9 healthy subjects and in 38 patients with various degrees of renal impairment. The results showed that cefetamet elimination was dependent on renal function. After intravenous dosing, total body (CLS), renal (CLR), and nonrenal (CLNR) clearances were linearly related to creatinine clearance (CLCR; r = 0.95, 0.92, and 0.59, respectively). Elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) was prolonged from 2.46 +/- 0.33 h in normal subjects to 29.1 +/- 13.9 h in patients with CLCR of less than 10 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Correspondingly, CLS and CLR decreased from 1.77 +/- 0.27 and 1.42 +/- 0.25 ml/min per kg to 0.14 +/- 0.04 and 0.04 +/- 0.03 ml/min per kg, respectively. The volume of distribution at steady state (0.298 +/- 0.049 liter/kg) for cefetamet was not altered by renal insufficiency (P greater than 0.05). After oral administration, the elimination parameters, t1/2 beta and CLR, were insignificantly different from the intravenous data (P greater than 0.05). Furthermore, the bioavailability (F) of cefetamet pivoxil (45 +/- 13%) was not altered by renal failure (P greater than 0.05). However, maximum concentration in plasma and the time to achieve this value were significantly increased (5.86 +/- 0.74 versus 14.8 +/- 6.14 micrograms/ml and 3.9 +/- 1.1 versus 8.4 +/- 1.7 h, respectively; P less than 0.05). Based on these observations, it is recommended that patients with CLcr of <10 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and between 10 and 39 ml/min per 1.73 m2 be given one-quarter of the normal daily dose either once or twice daily. Patients with CLcr between 40 and 80 ml/min per 1.73 m2 should receive one-half of the normal dose twice daily. For patients with CLcr of <10 ml/min per 1.73 m2, it would be recommended that they receive a normal standard dose as a loading dose on day 1 of treatment.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ceftizoxime; Creatinine; Female; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Kidney Diseases; Male; Middle Aged