Several of the newer broad-spectrum, potent antibiotics are currently being used for the treatment of meningitis, ventriculitis and shunt-tract infection. The risk of complications following intrathecal administration of some of this newer antibiotics varies considerably. Possible complications of immediate or delayed seizure, cortical electric depression, radiculopathy, transverse myelopathy, and arachnoiditis after intrathecal or intraventricular administration must be weighed against the potential value of this route. These risks may influence the therapeutic management of a specific clinical situation. The author studied the effect of the first generation of cephalosporins(cepalothin, cefazolin, cepharadine, cephapirin), the second generation of cephalosporins(cefamandole, cefmetazole), and the third generation of cephalosporins(cefotaxime, cetriaxone, cefotetan), on electrocortical activity of cerebral cortex. The results are as follows : 1) The topical application of cephalothin, cefazolin, cephapirin 8mg/ml shows electrocortical spike activity. In higher concentration, each cases show intense electrocortical spike activity. The topical application of cephradine 100mg/ml shows electrocortical spike activity and in higher concentration, electrocortical spike activity continued. 2) The topical application of cefamandole 64mg/ml shows electrocortical spike activity first and that of cefmetazole 100mg/ml shows electrocortical spike activity and in higher concentration of each cases, intense electrocortical spike activity continued. 3) The topical application of cefotaxime 16mg/ml shows electrocortical spike activity and that of ceftriaxon 200mg/ml and cefatetan 100mg/ml shows mild electrocortical spike activity. In higher concentration of each cases, electrocortical spike activity continued. In conclusion, the degrees of epileptogenic effect was most severe in the first generation of cephalosporins and the second generation of cephalosporins and the third generation of cephalosporins on the decreasing order.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arachnoid ; Arachnoiditis ; Cefamandole ; Cefazolin ; Cefmetazole ; Cefotaxime ; Ceftriaxone ; Cephalosporins* ; Cephalothin ; Cephapirin ; Cephradine ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Depression ; Meningitis ; Radiculopathy ; Seizures ; Spinal Cord Diseases