title: Chloramphenicol pharmacokinetics in the newborn.
abstract: We studied pharmacokinetics of chloramphenicol in 9 neonates having a mean gestational age of 31.2 +/- 1.9 weeks (mean +/- SEM). The studied dose was the final dose of treatment in 8 of these and the first dose in 2 of these. 1 neonate was studied twice. Concentrations of chloramphenicol and its 3-monosuccinate and 1-monosuccinate esters were measured in serum by high performance liquid chromatography. Apparent total body clearance of chloramphenicol correlated with postnatal age (r = 0.81, p less than 0.01). Mean apparent clearance was 1.1 ml X min-1 X kg-1. Serum concentrations of succinate esters were below assay sensitivity after 6 h postdose. Factors leading to excessive chloramphenicol concentrations (greater than 25.0 mg/l) were evaluated in another 44 newborns. Instability of the patient's clinical condition was an important cause of excessive serum concentrations during ongoing therapy.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate
chemical_list: D002701:Chloramphenicol