title: Efficient penetration into aqueous humor by administration of oral and topical levofloxacin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether an optimized combination of oral and topical levofloxacin would lead to higher levofloxacin concentrations in aqueous humor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with cataracts in both eyes began topical treatment at 1 week before the first surgery and oral treatment at 1 day before the first surgery. On the day of surgery, they received oral and topical levofloxacin at 4 h and 1 h before surgery, respectively. Two days after the first operation, we performed cataract surgery on the second eye with the same drug administration protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postsurgery concentrations of levofloxacin in the aqueous humor of the first and second eyes were 2.87±0.89 μg/mL (mean±standard deviation, n=15) and 3.76±1.32 μg/mL, respectively; the levofloxacin level in the second eye was significantly higher than that in the first eye (P=0.0085).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our protocol to achieve high aqueous humor concentrations of levofloxacin may be favorable in preventing endophthalmitis after eye surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwaki
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zako
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin