Penicillin G-procaine in cesarean surgery: amounts in blood and therapeutic action

Abstract

According to the authors penicillin therapy is well tolerated and easily administered in large doses, applied at lengthy intervals for prophylactic purposes. Its therapeutic action was studied in 10 patients who had undergone Cesarean Section in the Obstetrical Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (Prof. Raul Briquet's Department) , where the prophylactic usage of this drug is routine. Control of the blood level by the biological methods consisting of a series of dilution in tubes, as described by Fleming, was carried out in the Institute "Adolfo Lutz " of São Paulo. The following are the conclusions: a) There is no doubt as to the value of penicillin therapy in large doses administered at lengthy intervals; b) The blood level values encountered in massive dose penicillin therapy given at lengthy intervals allow the authors to conclude these are as constant as those found on the application of moderate doses of the drug at short intervals; c) The association of calcium - penicillin with penicillin G - procaine causes quicker absorption and a higher blood level value than does the isolated penicillin G - procaine; d) The rapid absorption of calcium penicillin with penicillin G - procaine makes intra-venous therapy unnecessary.