A pharmacologic evaluation of penicillin in children with purulent meningitis. 1977

J P Hieber, and J D Nelson

We undertook a prospective study of the pharmacokinetics of penicillin G (administered intravenously every four hours for a total of b50,000 U per kilogram per day) in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with purulent meningitis. Both the absolute mean cerebrospinal-fluid penicillin concentration (0.8, 0.7 and 0.3 microgram per milliliter) and the percentage of the simultaneous serum penicillin concentration measurable in the cerebrospinal fluid (18.4, 9.9, 4.9 per cent) declined on the first, fifth and 10th days of therapy, respectively. A mean peak cerebrospinal-fluid penicillin concentration of 0.96 micrograms per milliliter was measured at least transiently on all three study days. This pharmacokinetic pattern correlated with the return of cerebrospinal-fluid protein concentration toward normal (P less than 0.01). Penicillin G in the dosage studied is adequate therapy for most streptococcal and meningococcal meningitis in children; an increased dosage may be necessary when the minimal inhibitory concentration of penicillin to the etiologic agent is unusually high.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007275 Injections, Intravenous Injections made into a vein for therapeutic or experimental purposes. Intravenous Injections,Injection, Intravenous,Intravenous Injection
D008578 Meninges The three membranes that cover the BRAIN and the SPINAL CORD. They are the dura mater, the arachnoid, and the pia mater.
D008581 Meningitis Inflammation of the coverings of the brain and/or spinal cord, which consist of the PIA MATER; ARACHNOID; and DURA MATER. Infections (viral, bacterial, and fungal) are the most common causes of this condition, but subarachnoid hemorrhage (HEMORRHAGES, SUBARACHNOID), chemical irritation (chemical MENINGITIS), granulomatous conditions, neoplastic conditions (CARCINOMATOUS MENINGITIS), and other inflammatory conditions may produce this syndrome. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1994, Ch24, p6) Pachymeningitis,Meningitides,Pachymeningitides
D010400 Penicillin G A penicillin derivative commonly used in the form of its sodium or potassium salts in the treatment of a variety of infections. It is effective against most gram-positive bacteria and against gram-negative cocci. It has also been used as an experimental convulsant because of its actions on GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID mediated synaptic transmission. Benzylpenicillin,Benpen,Benzylpenicillin Potassium,Coliriocilina,Crystapen,Or-pen,Parcillin,Pekamin,Pengesod,Penibiot,Penicilina G Llorente,Penicillin G Jenapharm,Penicillin G Potassium,Penicillin G Sodium,Penicillin GrĂ¼nenthal,Penilevel,Peniroger,Pfizerpen,Sodiopen,Sodipen,Sodium Benzylpenicillin,Sodium Penicillin,Unicilina,Ursopen,Van-Pen-G
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D001812 Blood-Brain Barrier Specialized non-fenestrated tightly-joined ENDOTHELIAL CELLS with TIGHT JUNCTIONS that form a transport barrier for certain substances between the cerebral capillaries and the BRAIN tissue. Brain-Blood Barrier,Hemato-Encephalic Barrier,Barrier, Blood-Brain,Barrier, Brain-Blood,Barrier, Hemato-Encephalic,Barriers, Blood-Brain,Barriers, Brain-Blood,Barriers, Hemato-Encephalic,Blood Brain Barrier,Blood-Brain Barriers,Brain Blood Barrier,Brain-Blood Barriers,Hemato Encephalic Barrier,Hemato-Encephalic Barriers
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children

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