Cefpodoxime proxetil concentrations in head and neck tissues.

Three to six hours prior to surgery in the head and neck a single dose of 200 mg cefpodoxime proxetil was administered orally to 30 patients. During surgery serum and tissue samples (concha, mocosa, cartilage, bone, parotis and tonsil) were taken and the concentrations of cefpodoxime were determined by bioassay. The serum concentrations ranged from 0.72 mg/l (determined after 6 h 22 min) to 3.34 mg/l (3 h 15 min). The tissue concentrations were between 0.15 mg/l (determined in bone after 5 h 18 min) and 1.94 mg/l (concha 4 h 13 min). Analogously to recent in vitro data the concentrations reached in head and neck tissue were higher than the MIC90 values for most pathogens of upper respiratory tract infections.