Effect of protein binding on cefmenoxime steady‐state kinetics in critical patients

The effect of protein binding on cefmenoxime steady‐state kinetics was studied in 20 critical patients with gram‐negative pneumonia. Sixteen patients were given 1 gm cefmenoxime every 6 hr, two received 2 gm every 6 hr, and two received 2 gm every 8 hr. Serum protein binding was measured by equilibrium dialysis. Assays were by HPLC. Serum cefmenoxime concentration‐time data were characterized by a model‐independent method based on statistical moment theory. Despite varying renal function in patients, mean cefmenoxime serum concentration‐time curves for all three dosing regimens were closely aligned, reflecting successful empiric dosage adjustment. Terminal phase t½ ranged from 0.8 to 2.9 hr and was significantly related to creatinine clearance. Cefmenoxime total clearance was significantly related to both λ z (2.303 times the slope of the terminal portion of the log‐concentration–time curve) and creatinine clearance (CCr). Plasma clearance of free cefmenoxime was more strongly correlated with CCr than the clearance of total cefmenoxime. Drug recovery from 24‐hr urine collections at steady state was 76.9 ± 19.8% of the daily dose (mean ± SD, n = 13). Cefmenoxime protein binding in patients differed markedly from normal values. A regression equation derived from data on 11 cephalosporins appeared to predict total volume of distribution in the steady state (Vd ss ‐Total) from the fraction of unbound drug accurately. Since cefmenoxime has a high therapeutic index, no clinical consequences are expected to result from variation in protein binding. Observed differences in protein binding between patients and normal subjects could have clinical consequences for highly bound acidic drugs that, unlike cefmenoxime, have narrow therapeutic indices. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1984) 35, 64–73; doi: 10.1038/clpt.1984.10