Comparison of continuous infusion with intermittent bolus administration of cefotaxime on blood and cavity fluid drug concentrations in neonatal foals.

This research article examined healthy newborn horses and the effect of different methods of administrating the drug Cefotaxime – an antibiotic. The study found that a continuous infusion of the drug may be more effective than intermittent doses, particularly for treating certain infections related to horse septicemia.

Methodology and Participant Details

The study involved administering cefotaxime, a potent antibiotic, to healthy, newborn horses (foals). Two administration methods were compared:

• A bolus or a large volume, short-duration, intravenous administration of the drug given every six hours for twelve doses was administered to ten foals.
• A continuous infusion, involving a loading dose followed by continuous infusion of a total daily dose over a period of three days which was administered to five foals.

This experiment aimed to understand the distribution of the drug both in the blood and in different fluid filled cavities of the foals’ bodies.

Results

Following the different treatments, the researchers determined the drug concentrations at steady state – that’s the point when the drug intake and clearance rate is uniform, so the drug concentration in the plasma and the total amount of drug in the body remains constant.

• In the foals who received bolus treatment, the highest level of drug concentration in the blood was recorded at 88.09 μg/mL, and the minimum concentration was recorded at 0.78 μg/mL, six hours after administration and just before the next dose.
• The foals who received continuous infusion had a steady-state concentration of 16.10 μg/mL in their blood despite a lower dose in comparison to the bolus treatment.
• The researchers also noticed that the mean concentration of cefotaxime in joint fluid at 72 hours was significantly higher in the infusion group (5.02 μg/mL) compared to the bolus group (0.78 μg/mL).
• There was no significant difference in the drug concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between the two groups

The researchers couldn’t ascertain the drug concentration in fluid lining the lungs due to inadequate data.

Conclusion

Given the results of this study suggest that continuous infusion of cefotaxime may be more effective in maintaining a steady drug concentration in the bloodstream and certain cavity fluids of foals, and may therefore be a preferable method of administration to treat neonatal foal septicemia. By maintaining higher levels of the drug in the body for a longer time, this method of administration can better exceed the minimum inhibitory concentration necessary to fight off common pathogens that cause horse septicemia.