title: Meropenem, levofloxacin and linezolid in human plasma of critical care patients: A fast semi-automated micro-extraction by packed sorbent UHPLC-PDA method for their simultaneous determination.
abstract: An ultra high-performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) method with PDA detection was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of meropenem, linezolid, and levofloxacin in human plasma and applied in human plasma of critical care patients. A semi-automated microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) for sample preparation was used. All parameters in the extraction step (pH, sample volume, sample dilution and number of aspiration - ejection cycles) and in the desorption step (percentage of acetonitrile in the solvent of elution and number of aspirations of elution solvent through the device) were statistically significant when the recovery was used as response. The method showed good linearity with correlation coefficients, r2>0.9991 for the three drugs, as well as high precision (RSD%<10.83% in each case). Accuracy ranged from -7.8% to +6.7%. The limit of quantification of the three drugs was established at 0.01μg/mL for linezolid and levofloxacin and 0.02μg/mL for meropenem. Linezolid, meropenem, levofloxacin and the internal standard were extracted from human plasma with a mean recovery ranged from 92.4% to 97.4%. During validation, the concentration of meropenem, linezolid and levofloxacin was found to be stable after 3 freeze-thaw cycles and for at least 24h after extraction. This method will be subsequently used to quantify the drugs in patients to establish if the dosage regimen given is sufficient to eradicate the infection at the target site.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Farmacia, Orali e Biotecnologiche - Università degli Studi "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferrone
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche - Università degli Studi "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cotellese
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Farmacia, Orali e Biotecnologiche - Università degli Studi "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Marco
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Sanità Pubblica, Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente - Università degli studi di L'Aquila - 671100, L'aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bacchi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche - Università degli Studi "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlucci
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche - Università degli Studi "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Annadomenica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cichella
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche - Università degli Studi "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Farmacia, Orali e Biotecnologiche - Università degli Studi "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.carlucci@unich.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carlucci
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003422:Critical Care; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D057230:Limit of Detection; D000069349:Linezolid; D000077731:Meropenem; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction; D013845:Thienamycins
chemical_list: D013845:Thienamycins; D064704:Levofloxacin; D000077731:Meropenem; D000069349:Linezolid
keywords: Critical care patients; Human plasma; Levofloxacin; Linezolid; MEPS; Meropenem; UHPLC