CONCENTRATION OF PEFLOXACIN IN FECES DURING INFECTION PROPHYLAXIS IN NEUTROPENIC PATIENTS

Pefloxacin (400 mg twice daily) was administered orally for infection prophylaxis in neutropenic patients. Diffusible fecal pefloxacin conce ntration was determined by bioassay during 24 neutropenic periods. The median diffusible fecal pefloxacin concentration was 187 mu g/g. This concentration was comparable with those found in volunteers following oral and intravenous administration of pefloxacin (400 mg twice daily ) (median of 171 and 155 mu g/g, respectively). From this study, it is concluded that pefloxacin administered orally results in a predictabl e high diffusible fecal concentration which leads to effective elimina tion of susceptible aerobic gram-negative bacilli from the colonic flo ra.