Penetration of ampicillin ('Pondocillin') and amoxycillin ('Imacillin') into bronchial secretions.

The penetration of ampicillin and amoxycillin into bronchial secretions was investigated by bronchoscopy in 20 patients suffering from exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Five patients received 500 mg pivampicillin, 8 received 700 mg pivampicillin and 7 received 500 mg amoxycillin. There were no significant differences between these three treatments in respect of the serum and bronchial secretion concentrations at the time of bronchoscopy, nor were there any significant differences in the peak serum level or total bioavailability of each regimen. The concentrations in bronchial secretions, on average, were 5.7%, 9.0% and 7.6% of the corresponding serum concentrations in patients given 500 mg pivampicillin, 700 mg pivampicillin and 500 mg amoxycillin, respectively. The concentration in bronchial secretions exceeded the MIC for sensitive strains of Haemophilus influenzae in more cases treated with pivampicillin than with amoxycillin.