Abstract
Studies were performed to observe antibiotic levels in sputum of the patients with respiratory tract infections. The amoxicillin and ampicillin levels in sputum were observed for 4 or 8 hours, and the relationship between the sputum and serum levels was observed.
The results are summarized as follows:
1) In the patients received 500mg amoxicillin orally, the purulent or mucoserous sputum levels were found to be 0.05-0.6μg/ml, while the mucopurulent or mucous sputum levels were in a low range of 0.05-0.2μg/ml.
The amoxicillin levels were higher in the sputa at the 1g dose than 500mg dose with the exception of mucous sputa. In the patients received 500 mg ampicillin orally, the purulent, mucopurulent or mucoserous sputum levels were found to be 0.04 and 0.23μg/ml, while the mucous sputum levels were in a low range of 0.03-0.14μg/ml.
Both amoxicillin and ampicillin levels were comparatively high in 4-8-hour sputum.
2) In 1-2-hour sputum from the patients received 100mg amoxicillin or 250mg ampicillin by inhalation, the amoxicillin levels were found to be 7-46μg/ml, the ampicillin levels were in a range from a few tens to more than 100μg/ml, however amoxicillin and ampicillin levels were mostly null in 6-8-hours sputum.
3) The amoxicillin or ampicillin levels in the sputa, except mucous sputum, from the patients receiving dose of 500mg or 1g orally proved to be related to the serum levels. This relationship was shown to be more significant in “long actingr” cases than “high peak” cases of serum level.
4) In serum from patients receiving 100mg amoxicillin or 250mg ampicillin by inhalation, the amoxicillin levels were between 0.02-0.1μg/ml, the ampicillin levels were in a range of 0.04-0.1 μg/ml, and there was few difference in these serum levels after 1-2 hours and 4-8 hours.
These serum levels proved to be related to the sputa levels, except mucous sputum levels.
