title: Pharmacokinetics of intravenous amoxycillin and potassium clavulanate in seriously ill children.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics of amoxycillin and potassium clavulanate were studied in 15 sick children after a 30 min iv infusion of 50 mg/kg amoxycillin and 5 mg/kg clavulanic acid as the potassium salt. Levels of both compounds in plasma were assayed microbiologically. Mean peak concentrations at the end of the infusion were 121.0 mg/l of amoxycillin and 12.0 mg/l of clavulanate, falling to a mean of 15.8 and 1.92 mg/l respectively after 2 h. Mean beta phase T 1/2 was 0.88 h for amoxycillin and 0.79 h for clavulanate. The elimination half-life of clavulanate in some individuals was much shorter because of higher plasma clearance. The data suggest that the treatment of some infections due to beta-lactamase producing organisms in such severely ill children may require more frequent iv administration of amoxycillin and potassium clavulanate, than in less severely affected children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tasker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019818:Clavulanic Acid; D002969:Clavulanic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D002969:Clavulanic Acids; D019818:Clavulanic Acid; D000658:Amoxicillin