[Interference of the tissue concentration of antibiotics with a salidiuretic. Behaviour of cephradine and cephalothin in brain tissue after additional administration of furosemide (author's transl)].

Serum and brain tissue concentrations were determined after i.v. administration of 4 g cephradine to 11 patients of whom 6 were additionally receiving 40 mg furosemide t.i.d. peroral. Five further patients were given 4 g cephalothin i.v. All patients were undergoing a brain operation at the time of antibiotic administration. Between 60 and 100 min after dosage, cephradine decreased in the serum from 104.9 mcg/ml to 56.7 mcg/ml and in the brain tissue from 13.02 mcg/g to 8.37 mcg/g in the mean. Cephradine concentrations in serum were higher and in brain tissue lower when furosemide was given as well. These differences are statistically significant (p less than 0.01). Serum concentrations of cephalothin over the same period and in the absence of furosemide were very low with 32.2 mcg/ml at 60 to 70 min, and extremely low in the brain tissue (0.55 mcg/g in the mean) so that a trial with furosemide was not performed. Neither antibiotic was detectable in the cerebrospinal fluid. The differences in serum and brain tissue concentrations of cephradine in the presence and absence of furosemide demonstrate that special care must be taken when administering more than one drug.