Cefuroxime: pharmacokinetics in cochlear perilymph, cerebrospinal fluid, and plasma.

Very little is known about the permeability of contemporary antibiotics through the blood:perilymph barrier. In this study, we measure the concentration of cefuroxime in perilymph, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and plasma in the guinea pig following intravenous administration by using the technique of high-performance liquid chromatography. The results of our study demonstrate a higher permeability of cefuroxime in perilymph than in CSF with a similar concentration profile over time in both fluids. This suggests that each of the two fluid compartments has its own drug barrier, with little or no free passage from CSF to perilymph. On the basis of these experimental findings, we feel that cefuroxime has considerable potential as an antibacterial agent for the treatment or prevention of bacterial labyrinthitis.