PHARMACOKINETICS OF INTRAVENOUS CEFETAMET AND ORAL CEFETAMET PIVOXIL IN PATIENTS WITH HEPATIC CIRRHOSIS

The pharmacokinetics of orally administered cefetamet pivoxil and intravenously administered cefetamet were studied in 12 healthy subjects and 12 patients with hepatic cirrhosis without ascites. Cirrhosis had no detectable effect on the pharmacokinetics of cefetamet and on the bioavailability of cefetamet pivoxil. After intravenous cefetamet in control versus cirrhotic subjects, respectively, the following mean ± standard deviation values were observed: total body clearance, 128 ± 10.2 versus 123 ± 28.8 ml/min; steady-state volume of distribution, 23.2 ± 2.2 versus 22.7 ± 4.6 liters; half-life, 2.42 ± 0.21 versus 2.35 ± 0.41 h. Renal and nonrenal clearances of cefetamet were similar in both groups, as were the mean residence times and areas under the plasma concentration-time curve. For oral cefetamet pivoxil, no differences were detected in the mean values of the percentage of dose absorbed: 44.6 ± 9.1 versus 50.1 ± 12.9. The rate of appearance of cefetamet in the plasma also was not affected by cirrhosis: similar mean values were found for the mean residence time and the maximum concentration in plasma and its time of occurrence.