Pharmacokinetics of erythromycin in healthy adults and in adults with respiratory infections

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Abstract
A series of investigations was carried out in healthy adult subjects and in adult patients with bronchial infections to study the pharmacokinetics of various formulations of erythromycin. The results showed that erythromycin ethylsuccinate was better than erythromycin stearate for oral treatment in that it was rapidly and consistently absorbed. An increase in the dose from 500 mg to 1 g led to a proportional increase in the amount of erythromycin absorbed and in the area under the plasma concentration-time curve. Estimations of serum, sputum and saliva concentrations after intravenous infusion of 500 mg erythromycin lactobionate or oral doses of 500 mg erythromycin stearate showed that erythromycin readily diffused into the bronchial secretions, both in healthy subjects and in patients with bronchial infections, and reached levels sufficient for the elimination of most sensitive pathogens usually involved.