Serum and urinary levels of cefazolin were determined after a 500-mg parenteral dose in eight azotemic volunteers. The mean peak serum concentration was 1.5 to 5 times the levels obtained in nonazotemic patients. The serum half-life of cefazolin was increased significantly. In patients on dialysis, the mean serum half-life of cefazolin was 4.05 h during (or after) hemodialysis, and 32.1 h during (or after) peritoneal dialysis. There was a significant decrease in cefazolin removal when dialysate flow or membrane surface area of the dialyzer were decreased. It was also shown that one circuit through the dialysis unit caused measurable decrease in cefazolin concentration. These data and previously published reports suggest: (i) the maintenance dose of cefazolin can be decreased in azotemic patients; (ii) patients on hemodialysis will require an additional half dose after dialysis because of efficient removal during hemodialysis; and (iii) patients on peritoneal dialysis do not require an extra dose.Cefazolin, a recently introduced cephalosporin antibiotic, was reported not to be nephrotoxic in recent clinical studies (2, 6, 7). However, this antibiotic produced higher serum levels in uremic than in nonazotemic patients. It was also noted that the serum half-life of cefazolin was reduced by hemodialysis, but was little affected by peritoneal dialysis (1, 3, 5). We have confirmed these results in patients with varying degrees of renal failure and in patients undergoing peritoneal and hemodialysis. We also studied the pharmacokinetics of cefazolin using standard 4-h large-surface-area (2.4 m2) hemodialysis, hemodialysis with reduced membrane surface area, and also the effects of reduced duration of dialysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODSEighvruremic patients not on dialysis were given 500 mg of cefazolin as a single intramuscular injection. Serum and urine samples were collected before the injection and at 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after administration of the drug.Ten patients on dialysis were divided into three groups. Four patients in Group I were given 1 g of cefazolin intravenously at the initiation of a 4-h hemodialysis by using two Cordis Dow Model no. 4 hollow fiber kidneys. Blood flow during dialysis was approximately 200 ml/min, and dialysate flow was 500 ml/min. Blood samples were collected serially from venous dialysis lines without anticoagulant, and aliquots of 20 ml were taken from the dialysate for cup-plate assay.