title: Pharmacokinetics of ketoprofen following oral and intramuscular administration in young children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pharmacokinetics of ketoprofen following intramuscular injection or oral tablet was determined in children aged 10-69 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten children received a single intramuscular injection of 1 mg kg(-1) ketoprofen. Six children, weight 12-17 kg, received a 12.5-mg ketoprofen tablet and four children, weight 18-23 kg, received a 25-mg tablet. Venous blood samples were collected at 15 min and 30 min and 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h following drug dosing. Plasma ketoprofen levels were measured using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maximal plasma concentration of ketoprofen ranged between 3.6 microg ml(-1) and 7.4 microg ml(-1) in the intramuscular group and, following a dose normalisation, between 2.8 microg ml(-1) and 8.2 microg ml(-1) in the tablet group (dose normalised for 1 mg kg(-1)). The rate and extent of absorption of ketoprofen were comparable after intramuscular and oral administration. The relative bioavailability of oral ketoprofen was about 100% of the intramuscular administration. The extrapolated area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-infinity) ranged between 8.8 microg ml(-1) h and 14.6 microg ml(-1) h in the intramuscular group and between 8.7 microg ml(-1) h and 14.1 microg ml(-1) h in the tablet group (dose-normalised AUC0-infinity). The terminal half-life was comparable in both study groups, ranging between 0.8 h and 2.2 h in the intramuscular group and between 0.9 h and 2.1 h in the tablet group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the pharmacokinetic properties determined in this study, there is no justification for using intramuscular administration in awake children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. hannu.kokki@kuh.fi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kokki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tuomilehto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karvinen
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007660:Ketoprofen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007660:Ketoprofen