Mezlocillin kinetics in hepatic insufficiency

• Published in: Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics Vol. 33; no. 1; p. 73
• Main Authors: Bunke, C M, Aronoff, G R, Brier, M E, Sloan, R S, Luft, F C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.1983
• Subjects: Adult; Humans; Infusions, Parenteral; Kidney - metabolism; Kinetics; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic - complications; Liver Diseases - drug therapy; Mezlocillin; Middle Aged; Penicillins - metabolism; Penicillins - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0009-9236
• DOI: 10.1038/clpt.1983.10

To establish elimination kinetics of mezlocillin in patients with hepatic insufficiency, we gave eight normal subjects and four patients with hepatic insufficiency and normal renal function a single 3-gm dose of mezlocillin by intravenous infusion. Subjects with hepatic insufficiency all had serum bilirubins levels of above 3 mg/dl, prothrombin times more than 2 sec longer than control, and creatinine clearances above 60 ml/min. Mezlocillin concentrations were determined by microbiologic assay. Kinetic analysis was by model-independent methods. Elimination half-life was 0.96 hr for subjects with normal liver function and 2.62 hr for patients with hepatic insufficiency. Mean total body clearance for normal subjects was 247 ml/min, while in patients with hepatic insufficiency it was 125.4 ml/min. We conclude that hepatic insufficiency prolongs mezlocillin elimination and suggest that therapeutic guidelines be set up.