Amoxicillin Concentrations in Samples of Musculoskeletal Infections

Abstract

Amoxicillin is a frequently used beta-lactam antibiotic and at the same time a fragile analyte. Aim of this work was to investigate the sensitive properties of amoxicillin in biological samples and validate a quantification method for amoxicillin in soft tissue samples. Simple protein precipitation and 2D-High performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was used for sample preparation and analysis. The formation of a covalent amoxicillin methanol-adduct could be observed in varying extents depending on matrix and sample preparation method. In-Source Products (ISPs) were investigated in plasma, soft tissue, and water and no differences could be observed. We successfully validated a method for amoxicillin determination in tissue samples using the sum of 2 ISPs of amoxicillin for quantification. 37 study samples of different deep-seated infections could be analyzed. Measured amoxicillin concentrations ranged from below 0.5 mg/kg up to 87 mg/kg. Concentrations in abscesses were lower than in other infections.