Oral administration of erythromycin stearate: effect of dosage form on plasma levels

The clinical effectiveness of three different oral dose forms of erythromycin stearate was assessed by following plasma levels during continued dosage. The assessment was carried out in 12 volunteers who took 250 mg of the drug every six hours in a cross-over design with intravenous administration of erythromycin lactobionate as a reference. While in some patients levels which were obtained after the initial dose were low, plasma levels sufficient to inhibit the majority of bacterial pathogens which cause acute respiratory tract infections were obtained and maintained after the second dose.