Basic and clinical studies on cefetamet pivoxil

We performed basic and clinical studies on cefetamet pivoxil (CEMT-PI), a new oral cephalosporin, with the following results. 1) Antimicrobial activity : the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of cefetamet (CEMT) against 338 clinically isolated strains were determined and compared with those of cefteram, cefixime, cefaclor, cefotiam, ampicillin, using a Dynatech MIC-2000 system. CEMT had wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity against these isolated strains, except Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant S. aureus. 2) Clinical efficacy : CEMT-PI at 500 or 1,000 mg/day was given to 2 patients with bacterial pneumonia, 2 with bacterial pneumonia complicated with chronic bronchitis, 5 with chronic bronchitis and 1 with diffuse panbronchiolitis for 4-14 days. Clinical response was excellent in 2 patients, good in 6, fair in 1 and poor in 1, and the overall clinical efficacy was 80%. 3) Bacteriological efficacy : one strain of Haemophilus influenzae was eradicated, one strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae changed to Proteus vulgaris, and one strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae persisted. 4) Safety : no side effects and altered laboratory findings were observed.