Pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin in patients with liver cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Bacterial infections are common in patients with cirrhosis of liver and are frequently treated with ciprofloxacin. Literature on pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin in patients with cirrhosis of the liver is scanty. The present study compared the pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin in cirrhotic patients with that in healthy volunteers.


METHODS
In 20 patients with cirrhosis of liver (all Child-Pugh class B) and 10 healthy volunteers, plasma levels of ciprofloxacin were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography at several time points after a 500-mg oral dose. Various pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated.


RESULTS
No significant differences were observed in maximum plasma levels reached (mean [SD] 2.6 [0.6] vs 2.6 [1.3] microg/ml), time taken for maximum plasma levels to be reached (1.3 [0.6] vs 1.5 [0.9] h), t1/2a (0.7 [0.3] vs 0.4 [0.9] h), elimination half-life (3.6 [1.2] vs 3.2 [1.8] h), and area under the curve (19.3 [3.8] vs 21.9 [4.5] microg/mL x h) in healthy volunteers and cirrhotic patients, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin is unaltered in patients with liver cirrhosis. Ciprofloxacin can be safely administered in the usual doses in such patients.
Dixit
R K
RK
Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
Satapathy
S K
SK
Kumar
Ratnesh
R
Dhiman
R K
RK
Garg
S K
SK
Taneja
S
S
Bhargava
V K
VK
Chawla
Y K
YK
D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin