[Levels of sulfametrole-trimethoprim in blood and lung-tissue during treatment of respiratory tract infection (author's transl)]

Abstract

A report is given on the examination of the levels of sulfametrole and trimethoprim in blood and lung tissue of 29 patients with pulmonary tumours of various origin, who were subjected to a pre-operative treatment with 2 tablets 2 times daily of the sulfametrole-trimethoprim combination Lidaprim for an average period of one week because of concurrent bronchopulmonary infections. About 14 hours after the last tablet dose samples of tumour-free lung tissue and blood were removed during the operation and subjected to a chemical analysis of sulfametrole and trimethoprim. The mean blood level of sulfametrole was 30.3 micrograms/ml and of trimethoprim 2.0 micrograms/ml; the mean levels in the lung tissue was 19.2 micrograms/g of sulfametrole and 9.2 micrograms/g of trimethoprim. Trimethoprim via the blood is stored in the lung tissue. The relationship of these results to the good clinical activity of the combination sulfametrole/trimethoprim in the treatment of infections of bacterial origin in the upper and lower airways is discussed.