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Intermittent and continuous ceftazidime infusion for critically ill trauma patients.
S D Hanes1, G C Wood, V Herring
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
American Journal of Surgery
|September 27, 2000
Summary
Intermittent and continuous ceftazidime infusions are equally effective for treating nosocomial pneumonia in critically ill trauma patients. Altered pharmacokinetics in these patients do not impede treatment success with standard dosing regimens.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Nosocomial pneumonia is a significant concern in critically ill trauma patients.
- Ceftazidime is a common antibiotic used for such infections.
- Understanding drug pharmacokinetics is crucial for optimizing treatment efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the adequacy of intermittent and continuous infusion ceftazidime.
- To analyze ceftazidime pharmacokinetics in critically ill trauma patients.
- To correlate pharmacokinetics with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Serial blood samples were collected from 31 trauma patients during ceftazidime therapy.
- Ceftazidime pharmacokinetics were compared to those of healthy volunteers.
- Analysis focused on time above MIC and treatment outcomes.
Main Results:
- Critically ill trauma patients exhibited increased volume of distribution and clearance compared to healthy volunteers.
- The time above MIC exceeded 92% of the dosing interval for all patients.
- Treatment outcomes were similar between intermittent and continuous infusion groups.
Conclusions:
- Ceftazidime pharmacokinetics are significantly altered in critically ill trauma patients.
- Both intermittent and continuous ceftazidime regimens demonstrated equal effectiveness.
- These findings support the use of ceftazidime for nosocomial pneumonia in this patient population.