The pharmacokinetics of orally absorbed cefuroxime compared with amoxycillin/clavulanic acid

The pharmacokinetics of a new orally absorbed pro-drug of cefuroxime were compared with those of co-administered amoxycillin and clavulanic acid in six healthy male volunteers. Doses of 600 mg of acetoxyethyl cefuroxime and 500 mg amoxycillin plus 250 mg clavulanic acid were each administered for ten doses 8 hourly. Tissue penetration after the first dose of the antibiotic was estimated by a cantharides blister method. The faecal flora of the volunteers was studied throughout the study. The pharmacokinetics of cefuroxime and amoxycillin were very similar, peak levels of about 6.4 mg/l being found between 2 and 2.5 h after administration. The peak serum level of clavulanic acid was 4.3 mg/l at 1.25 h after administration. The serum half-lives were about 1.1 h for all three agents. No drug accumulation occurred over the four days of the study. The 0-8 h urinary recovery of cefuroxime was 30%. All three agents penetrated the blister fluid rapidly, the main peak levels being 64% of the peak serum level for cefuroxime, 72% for amoxycillin and 55% for clavulanic acid. The incidence of side effects was similar for each regimen. Three volunteers having diarrhoea after cefuroxime showed significant alterations in their bowel flora.