title: Half-life of intracameral gentamicin after phacoemulsification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the half-life of intracameral gentamicin administered during phacoemulsification.
  
  
  METHODS
  Southampton Eye Unit, Southampton General Hospital, England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients having scleral tunnel phacoemulsification were given intracameral gentamicin in the irrigation fluid. Samples of fluid were taken from the anterior chamber at the end of the operation and at various times postoperatively. The concentration of gentamicin in the samples was determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay and the half-life calculated for a single compartment model using a peeling algorithm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of gentamicin in the anterior chamber after phacoemulsification decreased by half every 51 minutes (95% confidence interval, 42 to 66 minutes).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intracameral gentamicin was cleared from the anterior chamber after phacoemulsification at a rate that prevents the maintainance of the bactericidal levels required for reliable antibiotic prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Southampton Eye Unit, Southampton General Hospital, England.
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Keys
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000378:metabolism*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control; D016231:Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005839:Gentamicins