Absorption of phenoxymethylpenicillin in children. The influence of age, state of disease and pharmaceutical preparation.

The bioavailability of phenoxymethylpenicillin (pc V) was determined in children with upper respiratory infection (age 1 month-5 years) following the administration of different commercial preparations of pc V. Administration of potassium pc V in water solution resulted in a significantly higher plasma concentration than the same dose of potassium pc V in an oil vehicle. There was no difference in absorption between tablet and mixture (the water solution) when potassium pc V was given, but with calcium pc V lower plasma levels were found after the oil mixture form than after the tablets. The results indicate that the oil mixture form and not the type of salt is responsible for the decreased absorption observed after some preparations of pc V. The absorption of solutions of potassium and calcium pc V was also examined in two different age groups, 1--5 months and 6 months-5 years. For both preparations the younger children obtained higher plasma levels. In 4 children with coeliac disease a decreased absorption compared to control children was found of potassium pc V in solution and this was most pronounced when the oil vehicle was used.