Ampicillin and penicillin concentration in serum and pleural fluid of hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Optimal therapeutic efficacy of beta-lactam antibiotics for treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia is thought to be associated with the serum concentration greater than the minimum inhibitory concentration for 40-50% of the interdose interval at site of infection.

Objective: Establish whether intravenous administration of ampicillin 400 mg/kg/day or penicillin 200,000 IU/kg/day in 6 divided doses reaches serum and or pleural concentrations above 4 microg/ml for at least 40% of the interdose interval.

Materials And Methods: Hospitalized healthy children 1 month-14 years old with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and empyema were eligible.