Penetration of antibiotics to tissues and infected foci.

There is proportionality between the area under the curve of concentrations in serum and the area under the curve in tissues and other extravascular foci of the body. A high peak area under the serum curve - PAUC - establishes high extravascular concentration levels in tissues, operation areas and infected sites. Most antibiotics are able to produce satisfactory antibacterial levels in interstitial tissue fluid regardless of serum protein binding. Binding to components of interstitial space, like alpha 1-globulin, inhibits the establishment of the concentrations. Administration of a prophylactic agent by infusion 1 h before an operation suffices to produce anti-bacterial levels in wound tissues to inhibit growth of susceptible bacteria contaminating it during the operation.