Blood, Urine and Fecal Levels of Streptomycin in the Treatment of Human Infections of E. typhosa

Abstract

Typhoid patients were given streptomycin intraven., intramusc. or orally in doses from 1-4 million units daily. Blood and urine samples were collected at short intervals after the initial dose and on discontinuance of dosage. The amts. of streptomycin present were detd. from 24-hr. urine collections. Intramusc. and intraven. doses were comparable with respect to blood levels, and high urine recovery; intraven., there was a low fecal recovery. Oral doses caused no demonstrable blood level, a very low urinary recovery, but an extremely high fecal content. This showed streptomycin was not readily absorbed. The in vitro streptomycin resistance of typhoid cultures, isolated during therapy, did not differ from cultures isolated from human blood and stools prior to giving streptomycin. The contrast betw. the very large doses coupled with blood and fecal isolations during therapy, and the relatively low in vitro resistance of these cultures, indicated the possible presence in the body of a subst. inhibitory to streptomycin.