1988 Volume 36 Issue 7 Pages 473-478
We studied serum and pleural fluid concentrations in 14 patients after intravenous infusion of 2 g of LMOX or FMOX. Eight patients received LMOX and six FMOX.
The pharmacokinetic parameters of both drugs in serum were:(1) a peak concentration of 104±31μg/ml (LMOX) and 76±16μg/ml (FMOX) at the end of infusion;(2) an elimination half-life of 2.5±0.5 h (LMOX) and 1.3±0.1 h (FMOX);(3) an area under the concentration curve of 332±94μg·Eh-1 ml (LMOX) and 157±30μg·Eh-1 ml (FMOX). These data suggest that FMOX was cleared more rapidly from serum.
On the other hand, both drugs when given intravenously penetrated slowly into pleural fluid after initiation of drug infusion, and the pleural fluid concentration reached a peak of 31±20μg/ml at 4 h for LMOX and 21±14μg/ml at 2 h for FMOX. The elimination half-lives in pleural fluid for LMOX and FMOX were 7.4±1.2 h and 5.4±1.4 h.
In addition, the multiple-dose administration given in twice daily infusions of either oxacephem did not increase serum or pleural fluid concentrations.
These data suggest that both oxacephems penetrated into pleural fluid at a high rate of 27.5%, and that their elimination half-lives were 3-4 times longer in pleural fluid than in serum. We believe that the pharmacokinetics of both drugs may be of great advantage for the treatment of pleural space infections.
