Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Cefamandole, Cephapirin, and Cephalothin in Healthy Subjects and Effect of Repeated Dosing

Cefamandole nafate, cephapirin, and cephalothin were administered intravenously in crossover fashion to 12 volunteers, in dosages of 2 g every 6 h for 16 doses. Mean peak levels of cefamandole were approximately 50% higher than those of the other agents. The serum concentration curves appeared to decline bi-exponentially, suggesting that a two-compartment model was most applicable for pharmacokinetic analysis; accordingly, the t((1/2)) of cefamandole was significantly longer when the serum peak was omitted from the analysis (0.86 versus 0.73 h, P < 0.05). The half-lives of cephalothin and cephapirin, 0.34 and 0.36 h, respectively, were probably underestimates reflecting the inclusion of distribution-phase values in the calculation. Repeated dosing had no effect on the peak serum levels, half-life, serum clearance, or apparent volume of distribution with one exception: peak serum levels of cephapirin were significantly lower after the sixteenth than after the first dose. Marked variations within a given subject were noted in the half-life and apparent volume of distribution of cefamandole in several instances. Renal clearances of cefamandole exhibited saturation kinetics similar to those of penicillin G.