Concentrations of cefpodoxime in plasma and lung tissue after a single oral dose of cefpodoxime proxetil.

Eighteen patients undergoing thoracotomy for suspected pulmonary neoplasia were given 200 mg cefpodoxime equivalent by mouth, before operation. Plasma samples were obtained before dose administration, and plasma and lung tissue samples were obtained at the time of operation which was 3, 6 or 12 h after the dose. All samples were assayed for cefpodoxime. The mean ratios for lung tissue/plasma concentrations were similar between 3 and 12 h after dose, suggesting that equilibrium between plasma and lung tissue concentrations was reached within 3 h of medication. The mean concentrations of cefpodoxime in lung tissue were 0.63 +/- 0.16, 0.52 +/- 0.09 and 0.19 +/- 0.02 mg/kg at 3, 6 and 12 h after administration, respectively. These observations indicate good, rapid and sustained penetration into lung tissue in concentrations greater than or equal to the MIC90 for most common micro-organisms found in community-acquired pneumonia.