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. 1996 Jan;40(1):218–220. doi: 10.1128/aac.40.1.218

High doses of cefotaxime in treatment of adult meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae with decreased susceptibilities to broad-spectrum cephalosporins.

P F Viladrich 1, C Cabellos 1, R Pallares 1, F Tubau 1, J Martínez-Lacasa 1, J Liñares 1, F Gudiol 1
PMCID: PMC163086  PMID: 8787909

Abstract

We treated nine patients (10 episodes) with meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates with decreased susceptibilities to broad-spectrum cephalosporins with high doses of cefotaxime (300 mg/kg of body weight per day; maximum dose, 24 g/day). Early adjunctive therapy with dexamethasone was also administered. Cefotaxime MICs were 0.5 (three episodes), 1 (five episodes), and 2 (two episodes) micrograms/ml, and MBCs ranged from 1 to 4 micrograms/ml. Therapy was well tolerated, and all patients experienced prompt clinical improvement. One patient died 8 days after the end of therapy, the central nervous system infection had already been cured, and the remaining patients recovered without relapses.

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Selected References

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