Presence of systemic ampicillin in pulp-extirpated root canals

Abstract

Ampicillin, administered systemically after pulp extirpation, was detected in the intracanal fluid of instrumented root canals. Pulpectomies were performed on single-rooted dog teeth at 72 h, 24 h, 3 h, and immediately before intravenous injection of ampicillin. Maintenance doses of ampicillin were administered i.m. every 12 h thereafter. Intracanal fluids were collected on paper points at 3, 24, and 72 h after initial injection of ampicillin, and the presence of ampicillin was determined using a Clostridium perfringens bioassay. Ampicillin could be detected in the fluid of half of the pulp-extirpated root canals as early as 3 h after the initial injection. The number of teeth with recoverable ampicillin increased with the time after the initiation of ampicillin administration (79% at 1 day and 100% at 3 days). The length of time between pulp extirpation and the initial administration of systemic ampicillin had no apparent effect on the access of the systemic ampicillin into the pulp-extirpated root canals.