The aim of the study was to verify whether antibiotics excreted by the normal pancreas are also excreted in human necrotizing pancreatitis, reaching the tissue sites of the infection. Twelve patients suffering from acute necrotizing pancreatitis were treated with imipenem-cilastatin (0.5 g), mezlocillin (2 g), gentamicin (0.08 g), amikacin (0.5 g), pefloxacin (0.4 g), and metronidazole (0.5 g). Serum and necrotic samples were collected simultaneously at diferent time intervals after parenteral drug administration by computed tomographyguided needle aspiration, intraoperatively, and from surgical drainages placed during surgery. Drug concentrations were determined by microbiological and high-performance liquid chromatography assays. All antibiotics reached the necrotic tissues, but with varying degrees of penetration, this being low for aminoglycosides (13%) and high in the case of pefloxacin (89%o) and metronidazole (990%). The concentrations of pefloxacin (13.0 to 23 ,Lg/g) and metronidazole (8.4 ,ug/g) in the necrotic samples were distinctly higher than the MICs for the organisms most commonly isolated in this disease; the concentrations in tissue of imipenem (3.35 ,ug/g) and mezlocillin (8.0 and 15.0 ,ug/g) did not always exceed the MICs for 90% of strains tested, whereas the aminoglycoside concentrations in necrotic tissue (0.5 p.g/g) were inadequate. Repeated administration of drugs (for 3, 7, 17, and 20 days) seems to enhance penetration of pefloxacin, imipenem, and metronidazole into necrotic pancreatic tissue. The choice of antibiotics in preventing infected necrosis during necrotizing pancreatitis should be based on their antimicrobial activity, penetration rate, persistence, and therapeutic concentrations in the necrotic pancreatic area. These requisites are provided by pefloxacin and metronidazole and to a variable extent by imipenem and mezlocillin.Superinfection of necrotic tissue in the course of acute necrotizing pancreatitis is a decisive prognostic factor with regard to morbidity and mortality (2,3,5,7,20,25,33,34,40).This has prompted attempts to identify the patients at septic risk (3,5,20), the microorganisms responsible for the superinfection (1), the times of infection in the natural history of the disease (3,20), the therapeutic measures to be adopted (1-3, 5, 20, 34), and possible effective prophylaxis (7,9,10,19,23,25,33).The ideal antibiotic for therapy and/or prophylaxis should be targeted at the microorganisms responsible for the septic complications and should reach the infection site in therapeutic concentrations.To date, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the penetration of various different antibiotics into healthy pancreatic tissue and juice (4, 7-11, 28, 35-38). None of these studies has been conducted with humans in the course of disease, and to the best of our knowledge, the effective ability of antibiotics to penetrate the infection risk areas has never been assessed. Such areas of the retroperitoneum are characterized by the presence of necrotic fragments of pa...

Probiotics are defined as 'live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer health benefits on the host', underlining the need of microbial viability and the requirement of a suitable dose to obtain a health benefit. The dose and the administration regimen are critical issues for probiotics either ingested as foods claiming health benefits or used as drugs in clinics. In fact, regulatory authorities demand to guarantee consumers that a probiotic is effective in the recommended conditions of use and responds to its specific claims. Thus, a proper identification of probiotic strain(s), a definition of the amount of microorganisms surviving by the end of the product shelf-life, and a demonstration of their beneficial effects by appropriate human trials are required. The current knowledge on the effective dose of different probiotic strains used for several disorders is here reviewed.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract