Clinical Study on Concentrations of Lomefloxacin in Pleural Fluid
A single dose of lomefloxacin, a new oral antibacterial agent with excellent antibacterial potency and spectrum and safety profile, was administered at 200 mg, the recommended dose, to 6 patients with accumulated pleural fluid in order to determine drug concentrations in the pleural fluid over time after treatment. Lomefloxacin appeared in the pleural fluid 1 hr after oral treatment in some cases. The mean concentration increased gradually from 0.49 μg/ml 2 hrs after treatment to 0.81, 1.00 and 1.16 μｇ/ml, respectively, 3, 4 and 6 hrs after treatment. A concentration of 0.45 μg/ml was still present 24 hrs after treatment. The AUC determined up to 24 hrs after treatment was 18.51 μg hr/ml. Concentrations reached in the pleural fluid 2 hrs after treatment, in particular those reached 3 hrs after treatment, were higher than MICs of lomefloxacin for most bacteria against which the drug has been found to be effective, and concentrations remained above MICs over a long period of time. In addition, concentrations in the pleural fluid obtained in different patients showed very little variability, although the drug was orally administered. This finding suggests that the drug's absorption from the intestine and the passage through the pleura are very stable. Therefore, lomefloxacin seems to be a drug of choice for use in studies on passage of drues through various barriers.
