Azithromycin in an experimental Staphylococcus aureus abscess model.

We studied the efficacy and pharmacokinetics of azithromycin in a rabbit tissue-cage Staphylococcus aureus abscess model. A dosage of 15 mg/kg/day azithromycin was administered to rabbits with 24 h or 2 week old infected tissue cages and to uninfected controls. Concentrations of azithromycin were higher in the infected compared with the uninfected tissue cages. Azithromycin was effective in reducing the bacterial concentrations in both groups of infected tissue cages by approximately 3 log10 cfu/mL compared with untreated controls after 8 days of therapy. Fifty percent of the 24 h and 29% of the 2 week infected tissue cages became culture-negative.