The pharmacokinetics of cefoxitin was studied in 6 healthy volunteers and in 5 patients with a pleural effusion after administration of a single dose of 30 mg/kg i.v. infusion. The serum and pleural fluid concentrations of cefoxitin were determined microbiologically. The elimination half-life of the antibiotic from pleural fluid in all cases was 2-3 fold longer than from serum, which shows a difference between the kinetic elimination processes of the antibiotic from the two fluids. The slow elimination of cefoxitin from pleural fluid facilitates its accumulation in this compartment during a multiple dosage regimen.