Concentration of Ampicillin in Antral Mucosa Following Administration of Ampicillin Sodium and Pivampicillin

Antibiotics are commonly used systemically in the treatment of sinusitis. However, controlled investigations have shown that there is only slight or doubtful effect. We have, therefore, in connection with a clinical trial of a new antibiotic (pivampicillin, Pondocillin®), determined the tissue levels of ampicil-lin in the mucosa of the sinus. It has been shown that the concentration of ampicillin in nasal polyps following a single dose of pivampicillin 356 mg given orally (mean: 2.11 μg/g) is of the same magnitude as that found in nasal polyps (mean: 2.28 μg/g) and mucosa from the sinus (mean: 1.67 μg/g) after a chemically equivalent single dose of ampicillin sodium 250 mg given intramuscularly. It is therefore probable that the same tissue concentration can be obtained in the mucosa of the sinus following a similar dose of pivampicillin. Some effect of both ampicillin sodium and pivampicillin can thus be expected in the treatment of sinusitis.