Sinus Tissue Pharmacokinetics After Oral Administration of Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid

Abstract

The kinetics of oral clavulanic acid apparently fails to provide a widespread anti-beta-lactamase activity capable of enhancing the activity of amoxicillin in all parts of the sinuses. Despite this, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid maintains a central role in the treatment of acute rhinosinusitis, because amoxicillin is still the most effective oral beta-lactam against Streptococcus pneumoniae, a particularly virulent and increasingly resistant upper respiratory tract pathogen. Also, as our data show, a concomitant anti-beta-lactamase activity can be expected to occur, although in an unpredictable fashion.