Serum amoxycillin levels following oral loading dose prior to outpatient general anaesthesia for dental extractions.

Serum amoxycillin levels were measured 4 h after oral administration of a 3 g loading dose given prior to outpatient dental treatment under general anesthesia. A mean level of 8.49 mg/l +/- (1 S.D.) 5.07 mg/l of amoxycillin was obtained, which is adequate at the time of bacteraemia to protect patients susceptible to bacterial endocarditis. A second identical dose of amoxycillin was given following recovery from anaesthesia (mean 18.7 min) and was tolerated by 97.6% of patients.