A clinical study of transfer of cefminox and piperacillin into pulmonary tissue

: Serum concentrations of cefminox (CMNX) and piperacillin (PIPC) and their transfer into pulmonary tissue during surgery were serially studied following 1-hour intravenous instillation of 1 g of CMNX or PIPC immediately before thoracotomy, and the following results were obtained. Maximum serum concentrations of CMNX and PIPC were observed 1 hour after the commencement of administration, and their levels gradually decreased thereafter. The mean peak level of CMNX was 72.21 micrograms/ml, and T 1/2 was 1.62 hours. The mean peak level of PIPC was 43.26 micrograms/ml, and T 1/2 was 1.54 hours. In the pulmonary tissue, mean concentrations of CMNX in the normal pulmonary (alveolar) tissue were 28.80, 26.50 and 17.80 micrograms/g at 2.5, 3 and 4 hours, respectively, after the commencement of administration, and the corresponding levels for bronchiolar tissue were 19.6, 18.40 and 20.53 micrograms/g, respectively. The mean concentrations of PIPC in the normal pulmonary (alveolar) tissue were 18.97, 7.34 and 5.0 micrograms/g at 2, 3 and 4 hours, respectively, after the commencement of administration, and the corresponding levels for bronchiolar tissue were 7.2, 9.20 and less than 0.2 micrograms/g, respectively. PIPC also showed favorable transfer into the hilar lymph node tissue and obstructive pneumonitic lesions. The transfer of both drugs into pulmonary tissue suggests that both drugs are useful for the treatment of respiratory infectious diseases and the prevention of postoperative infections.