[Diffusion of piperacillin into bronchial secretions]

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Piperacillin is a ureido-penicillin with a broad spectrum, including activity against Pseudomonas.
• In vitro data indicates piperacillin efficacy against pathogens in severe lower respiratory tract infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical utility of piperacillin in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
• To assess piperacillin's pharmacokinetic profile and diffusion into bronchial secretions.

Main Methods:

• Six ICU patients received a single 4g intravenous dose of piperacillin.
• Serum and bronchial secretion samples were collected at 0.5, 2, 4, and 6 hours post-administration.
• Piperacillin concentrations were measured to determine kinetics and diffusion ratios.

Main Results:

• Peak serum piperacillin concentrations (90.6 ± 23.8 µg/ml) occurred at 30 minutes.
• Peak bronchial secretion concentrations (12.2 ± 8.5 µg/ml) were observed at 2 hours.
• The diffusion ratio of bronchial secretion to serum concentrations ranged from 15.5% to 24.5%.

Conclusions:

• Piperacillin exhibits outstanding diffusion into bronchial secretions.
• These findings support the use of piperacillin for treating severe respiratory tract infections in ICU settings.