Development of meningitis during therapy with cefamandole.

Cefamandole nafate is a relatively new cephalosporin approved for use in pediatric patients. This compound offers certain advantages over previously approved cephalosporins including its in vitro antimicrobial activity against β-lactamase-producing Haemophilus influenzae. The purpose of this report is to describe a potential hazard associated with the use of this and closely related antimicrobial agents in life-threatening bacterial infections. CASE REPORT This was the first Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital admission for this 7-month-old boy with a ten-day history of fever and irritability. Seven days prior to admission he was seen by a local physician for fever. No source of infection was noted and the infant was treated with 300,000 units of intramuscular procaine penicillin.