Pharmacokinetics of Ampicillin Trihydrate in Plasma, Interstitial, and Peritoneal Fluid Following Intraperitoneal or Intramuscular Administration in Steers at the Beginning of a Standing Flank Laparotomy

Prophylactic and perioperative use of antibiotics is common prior to abdominal surgery in cattle for minimizing the risk of postoperative infections. Yet, there is little information on drug concentrations at sites of potential infections following surgical procedures. The objective of this study was to compare the concentrations in the plasma, peritoneal fluid, and interstitial fluid of ampicillin trihydrate in cattle. In a randomized design, ampicillin trihydrate, a β-lactam antibiotic, was administered to 12 healthy Holstein-Friesian steers intraoperatively via intraperitoneal (IP; n = 6) or intramuscular (IM; n = 6) injection in the cervical neck muscles at 11 mg/kg for both groups. For IP administration, ampicillin trihydrate was deposited into the abdominal cavity following an incision in the right paralumbar fossa. Steers in the IM group were administered ampicillin prior to surgical closure. Peritoneal fluid and interstitial fluid were collected using ultrafiltration probes. IP administration achieved higher concentrations in peritoneal fluid as compared to IM administration. Maximum plasma concentrations were significantly higher following IP administration (3.11 ± 2.5 μg/mL; p < 0.004) compared to the IM group (0.05 ± 10.9 μg/mL). Despite high peritoneal fluid concentrations of ampicillin, the variability in critical pharmacokinetic parameters following IP administration raises concerns about its therapeutic reliability. The correlation between intraperitoneal drug concentrations and clinical efficacy warrants further investigation.