Penetration of linezolid into the anterior chamber (aqueous humor) of the human eye after intravenous administration.

We determined the linezolid concentrations in serum samples and aqueous humors (AHs) from 21 patients undergoing cataract extraction. Cataract removal was performed at various times (from 60 to 270 min) after the end of a 30-min infusion of 600 mg of linezolid. Serum samples were obtained 1 h after the end of linezolid administration to determine the maximum concentration of linezolid (C(max)); AHs and a second serum sample were taken simultaneously during the operation, and the concentrations of linezolid in AH (C(AH)) and serum (C(S)) were determined. The mean C(AH) 1 h after linezolid administration was 4.94 micro g/ml, and the mean ratio of C(AH) to C(S) (R = C(AH)/C(S)) was 0.43. All patients had a C(AH) of >2 micro g/ml, which was higher than the MIC at which 90% of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains are inhibited.

Aceclofenac is a well-tolerated alternative to naproxen in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The efficacy and safety of aceclofenac (100 mg bid), a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory/anti-rheumatic agent, were compared with those of naproxen (500 mg bid) in a multi-centre, twelve-week, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial in outpatients with active osteoarthritis of the knee. 190 patients received aceclofenac, 184 naproxen. The two treatments were compared on the basis of several characteristic clinical features of osteoarthritis of the knee, including various pain measurements. In both groups, the treatment resulted in a significant reduction of the pain at rest, pain on movement and the pain from pressure on the joint, 76-86% of aceclofenac patients reporting reduction in pain after 12 weeks. Three-quarters of the aceclofenac-treated patients had an accompanying reduction in joint swelling and 81.4% in knee function capacity, up to complete freedom of movement. Joint stiffness, which at baseline lasted 20 minutes, was reduced in the aceclofenac group to 10 minutes. A statistically significant difference in the efficacy of the two drugs was not found. The 34 adverse drug effects documented in 24 (12.6%) of the aceclofenac patients were fewer than the 43 events in 30 patients (16.3%) reported for naproxen. The trend towards better tolerability of aceclofenac manifested itself above all in a lower total incidence of gastrointestinal side-effects. Aceclofenac is as effective as naproxen in the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee and is well tolerated in general.