THE ABSORPTION INTO AND DISTRIBUTION OF PENICILLIN IN THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Fourteen patients, 8 with meningitis and 6 without meningitis, were studied. Penicillin was administered by continuous or intermittent intraven. or intramusc. injn. Samples of blood and spinal fluid were drawn at varying intervals after injn. or during clysis. All penicillin levels were measured by the method of titration against [beta] streptococci of known sensitivity. In 6 patients, all of whom obtained maximal serum penicillin concns. of 0.625 units/ml. or more, penicillin was found in the lumbar subarachnoid fluid. Four of these had meningitis. Lower concns. in the lumbar fluid were obtained in 3 of these who received penicillin for 4 hrs. or less. In 2 infants, penicillin was detected in the ventricular fluid before it appeared in the lumbar fluid. Therapeutic levels of penicillin in the lumbar subarachnoid fluid were found only in patients who obtained serum concns. of at least 0.625 units/ml., and who had penicillin in the blood stream for at least 12 hrs. This could be achieved only with excessive doses, except in 2 cases in which there was renal damage and impaired penicillin excretion resulting in high serum concns. with commonly used doses of penicillin.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: