A Phase 4 interventional study of Cefuroxime and Dicloxacillin in Surgical Wound Infection, Neck Infection and Nasal Reconstruction, sponsored by Tejs Ehlers Klug. Recruiting at 1 site in Denmark. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-04.
Sponsored by Tejs Ehlers Klug · Phase 4, Interventional, and Basic science
The goal of this study is to measure how well commonly used antibiotics reach the tissue in the head and neck region in adults with a postoperative neck infection or undergoing reconstructive nasal surgery with an inferior turbinate flap. The study also describes markers of ischemia and inflammation in the newly created flap during the first days after surgery.
The main question it aims to answer is: For how long do the free concentrations of cefuroxime, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid stay above the minimal inhibitory concentration (T>MIC) in infected tissue, non-infected tissue, the flap, and plasma?
Participants will receive the antibiotics on a fixed, protocol-defined schedule for about two days. Small microdialysis catheters will be placed in the tissue to collect fluid continuously, and serial blood samples will be drawn. Participation ends when the last sample is collected and the catheters are removed.
Infections in the head and neck region and reconstructive surgery in the nasal and sinus area are associated with considerable morbidity and require effective antibiotic treatment. Treatment is based mainly on systemic antibiotic concentrations, but little is known about actual tissue penetration in infected tissue and in reconstructed flaps, where perfusion, edema, ischemia, and inflammation may alter drug distribution. Microdialysis is a minimally invasive method for continuous sampling of free, pharmacologically active drug concentrations and metabolic and inflammatory markers in the extracellular fluid.
This is a prospective, non-randomized, open-label, exploratory interventional study with two sub-studies and a total of 16 participants. All study drugs are marketed antibiotics used in routine clinical practice; they are administered in a protocol-defined regimen to allow pharmacokinetic sampling.
Sub-study 1 (n=8): Adults admitted with a postoperative infection in the neck. Treatment is started on day 1 with cefuroxime 750 mg IV four times daily and dicloxacillin 1000 mg orally four times daily. On day 2, microdialysis catheters are placed in infected and non-infected subcutaneous tissue of the neck, and sampling is performed over two consecutive dosing intervals: (1) cefuroxime 750 mg IV plus dicloxacillin 1000 mg orally, sampled for 6 hours; and (2) cefuroxime 1500 mg IV plus cloxacillin 1000 mg IV, sampled for 8 hours. This allows comparison of two cefuroxime doses and of oral dicloxacillin versus intravenous cloxacillin.
Sub-study 2 (n=8): Adults undergoing reconstructive surgery with an inferior turbinate flap (IFT flap). Postoperatively, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 500/125 mg and dicloxacillin 1000 mg are given orally three times daily. Microdialysis catheters are placed in the flap and in the nasal septal mucosa (reference tissue). Ischemia markers (glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glycerol) and inflammatory proteins are sampled hourly during the first 6 postoperative hours and in the morning and evening of day 2. Antibiotic concentrations are measured over one dosing interval after the morning dose on day 2.
In both sub-studies, dialysate is collected in 30-60 minute intervals and serial blood samples are drawn for plasma concentrations. Catheters are calibrated in vivo at the end of sampling. Drug concentrations are analysed by LC-MS. Clinically indicated treatment can be changed by the treating physician at any time.
692 studies on the registry are indexed under Surgical Wound Infection; 147 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 16 is below the median of 200 across 530 interventional studies indexed under Surgical Wound Infection.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Adults with a postoperative infection in the neck (n=8). Cefuroxime 750 mg IV four times daily and dicloxacillin 1000 mg orally four times daily from day 1. On day 2, microdialysis in infected and non-infected subcutaneous tissue over two consecutive dosing intervals: (1) cefuroxime 750 mg IV + dicloxacillin 1000 mg orally (6 hours); (2) cefuroxime 1500 mg IV + cloxacillin 1000 mg IV (8 hours), with serial plasma samples.
Drug: Cefuroxime · Drug: Dicloxacillin · Drug: Cloxacillin · Procedure: Microdialysis and serial blood sampling
Adults undergoing reconstructive surgery with an inferior turbinate flap (n=8). Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 500/125 mg and dicloxacillin 1000 mg orally three times daily postoperatively from day 1. Microdialysis in the flap and in nasal septal mucosa (reference tissue): ischemia markers and inflammatory proteins hourly for the first 6 postoperative hours and morning/evening on day 2; amoxicillin and dicloxacillin concentrations over one dosing interval after the morning dose on day 2, with serial plasma samples.
Drug: Dicloxacillin · Drug: Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid · Procedure: Microdialysis and serial blood sampling
Sub-study 1: Cefuroxime 750 mg intravenously four times daily from day 1. On day 2, one dosing interval of cefuroxime 750 mg IV (sampled over 6 hours) followed by one dosing interval of cefuroxime 1500 mg IV (sampled over 8 hours), to compare tissue penetration of the two doses.
Dicloxacillin 1000 mg orally. Sub-study 1: four times daily from day 1, with tissue and plasma sampling during the first dosing interval on day 2 (6 hours). Sub-study 2: three times daily postoperatively from day 1, with tissue and plasma sampling over one dosing interval after the morning dose on day 2.
Sub-study 1: Cloxacillin 1000 mg intravenously as a single dose in the second dosing interval on day 2 (given together with cefuroxime 1500 mg IV), with tissue and plasma sampling over 8 hours, to compare with oral dicloxacillin.
Drug pages: Amoxicillin · Clavulanic Acid
Sub-study 2: Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 500/125 mg orally three times daily postoperatively from day 1 (together with dicloxacillin), with tissue and plasma sampling of amoxicillin over one dosing interval after the morning dose on day 2.
CE-marked microdialysis catheters perfused with isotonic saline (0.5-1 microL/min) are placed in the target tissues: infected and non-infected subcutaneous neck tissue (sub-study 1), or the inferior turbinate flap and nasal septal mucosa as reference tissue (sub-study 2). Dialysate is collected in 30-60 minute intervals, with serial blood samples drawn for plasma concentrations. Catheters are calibrated in vivo at the end of sampling and then removed.
Time Above the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (T>MIC) in Tissue and Plasma
Time during which the free concentration of each study antibiotic (cefuroxime, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) exceeds the minimal inhibitory concentration in each measured tissue (microdialysis) and in plasma (serial blood samples), calculated from concentration-time profiles. Pre-specified MIC targets: cefuroxime 4 mg/L; cloxacillin 2 mg/L; dicloxacillin 2 mg/L; amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 2 mg/L (amoxicillin component). Reported as time (hours) and as percentage of the dosing interval.
Time frame: Sub-study 1: two consecutive dosing intervals on day 2 (0-6 hours and 0-8 hours after dosing). Sub-study 2: one dosing interval (approximately 8 hours) after the morning dose on postoperative day 2.
Area Under the Concentration-Time Curve (AUC) in Tissue and Plasma
AUC of the free concentration of each study antibiotic in each measured tissue compartment (microdialysis) and in plasma.
Time frame: Sub-study 1: two consecutive dosing intervals on day 2 (0-6 hours and 0-8 hours after dosing). Sub-study 2: one dosing interval (approximately 8 hours) after the morning dose on postoperative day 2.
Tissue Penetration Ratio (AUC Tissue / AUC Plasma)
Ratio of the AUC of the free antibiotic concentration in each tissue compartment to the AUC in plasma, for each study antibiotic.
Time frame: Sub-study 1: two consecutive dosing intervals on day 2 (0-6 hours and 0-8 hours after dosing). Sub-study 2: one dosing interval (approximately 8 hours) after the morning dose on postoperative day 2.
Maximum Concentration (Cmax) in Tissue and Plasma
Peak free concentration of each study antibiotic in each measured tissue compartment and in plasma.
Time frame: Sub-study 1: two consecutive dosing intervals on day 2 (0-6 hours and 0-8 hours after dosing). Sub-study 2: one dosing interval (approximately 8 hours) after the morning dose on postoperative day 2.
Time to Maximum Concentration (Tmax) in Tissue and Plasma
Time from dose administration to peak free concentration of each study antibiotic in each measured tissue compartment and in plasma.
Time frame: Sub-study 1: two consecutive dosing intervals on day 2 (0-6 hours and 0-8 hours after dosing). Sub-study 2: one dosing interval (approximately 8 hours) after the morning dose on postoperative day 2.
Elimination Half-Life (T1/2) in Tissue and Plasma
Elimination half-life of each study antibiotic in each measured tissue compartment and in plasma, derived from the concentration-time profiles.
Time frame: Sub-study 1: two consecutive dosing intervals on day 2 (0-6 hours and 0-8 hours after dosing). Sub-study 2: one dosing interval (approximately 8 hours) after the morning dose on postoperative day 2.
Lactate/Pyruvate Ratio in the Inferior Turbinate Flap
Lactate/pyruvate ratio measured in microdialysate from the inferior turbinate flap and the nasal septal reference tissue, as a marker of tissue ischemia (sub-study 2).
Time frame: Hourly during the first 6 postoperative hours (day 1), and in the morning and evening of postoperative day 2.
Tissue Ischemia Markers (Glucose, Lactate, Pyruvate, and Glycerol)
Concentrations of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, and glycerol in microdialysate from the measured tissue compartments.
Time frame: Sub-study 2: hourly during the first 6 postoperative hours (day 1), and in the morning and evening of postoperative day 2. Sub-study 1: during the sampling period on day 2 (up to approximately 14 hours).
Inflammatory Proteins in Microdialysate
Levels of inflammatory proteins measured in microdialysate from the inferior turbinate flap and the nasal septal reference tissue, to characterize the early postoperative inflammatory tissue response (sub-study 2).
Time frame: Hourly during the first 6 postoperative hours (day 1), and in the morning and evening of postoperative day 2.
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared publicly due to Danish and EU data protection legislation (GDPR). Aggregated results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and reported in CTIS.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Nov 2026; primary completion for Sep 2028, 22 months later.
Of 41 non-industry phase 4 interventional studies under Surgical Wound Infection, half reached primary completion within 30 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 16 and three quarters within 51. This study's planned 22 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 43 studies reached it within 30 months; a quarter within 15 and three quarters within 51.
Start moved once since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026: Oct 2026 → Nov 2026, on Nov 4, 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Studies of the drugs tested here: Cefuroxime · Cloxacillin · Amoxicillin · Clavulanic Acid
Tejs Ehlers Klug