Netilmicin in human CSF after parenteral administration in patients with slightly and severely impaired blood CSF barrier.

After administration of 150 mg netilmicin samples of CSF and blood were obtained. In one group of nine patients with no or only slight impairment of the blood-CSF-barrier 29 samples of CSF were assayed for netilmicin concentrations. All samples, obtained after the first dose, failed to reveal detectable drug levels. Drug levels up to 0.18 mg/l were detected in samples of CSF of three patients after 3 to 22 doses. Only the lumbar CSF of one patient contained netilmicin concentrations higher than 1.0 mg/l. In comparison 19 samples of CSF, obtained from patients with meningitis after more than one dose of netilmicin, had levels of 0.27-5.0 mg/l. Three CSF samples from patients out of this group, collected after the first dose of netilmicin failed to show any drug activity.