LEVELS OF AZITHROMYCIN AND ALPHA-1-ACID GLYCOPROTEIN IN SERUM IN PATIENTS WITH COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA

After an oral dose of 500 mg of azithromycin in patients with communit y-acquired pneumonia, their serum concentrations ranged between 0.06 a nd 0.25 mg/liter during the first 12 hours; the calculated percentages of unbound drug varied between 45 and 86%. This study shows that in t hese patients, the total levels of azithromycin in serum are lower tha n those expected and that the percentage of bound drug is clinically i rrelevant.