The concentration of thiamphenicol in severely diseased human kidneys

The concentration of thiamphenicol in serum and renal tissue was determined in 17 patients with severly diseased kidneys after an intravenous injection of 1000 mg of the drug. Two hours after the administration the renal tissue concentrations ranged in patients with hydronephrotic kidneys from 38.0-63.5 microgram/g, in patients with cirrhotic kidneys from 17.9-42.7 microgram/g, in patients with pyonephrosis from 9.8-17.6 microgram/g and in patients with renal carcinoma from 37.7-64.2 microgram/g. The patient with the renal sarcoma had a level of 138.7 microgram/g. At the same time the serum concentration ranged from 4.6-15.2 microgram/ml. The highest renal tissue/serum concentration ratios of thiamphenicol were observed in patients with hydronephrotic kidneys and renal tumours, the lowest in cases of pyonephrosis. The influence of severe renal disease on the renal tissue/serum concentration ratios of thiamphenicol is discussed. The high renal tissue levels of thiamphenicol in patients with severely diseased kidneys fulfill an important condition for the antibacterial chemotherapy of kidney infections.