Amoxicillin in paediatrics, with special reference to its excretion into bronchial secretion.

Pharmacokinetic examinations with amoxicillin in neonates and prematures are reported. Good values of up to 5 mcg/ml after 24 hours were achieved with two doses of 50 mg/kg amoxicillin daily. Amoxicillin was also found in the meconium, although quantities varied greatly. Amoxicillin is recommended for the treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract because of its good absorption, tissue penetration and tolerance. Examinations to assess the excretion of amoxicillin into the bronchial secretion were therefore carried out in 88 children in different age groups. Two artificial respiration bronchoscopies were carried out with an interval of 7 days, and the bronchial secretion collected and tested for organisms and for amoxicillin concentrations. After the first bronchoscopy, patients were given amoxicillin for 7 days, in doses of 125 to 750 mg t.i.d., corresponding to 40-100 mg/kg body weight. Some very high amoxicillin values were found, especially in those groups from whom the secretion was taken 2, 3, or 4 hours after the last amoxicillin treatment. The values were widely scattered. We recommended 50-100 mg/kg for broncho-pulmonary diseases.