Sorption of thiotepa to polyurethane catheter causes falsely elevated plasma levels

Central venous access catheters are commonly used in clinical oncology. The double lumen variant is applied in pharmacokinetic studies for simultaneous administration and blood sampling when frequent blood collections are necessary. Occlusion of one lumen, a common complication, necessitates the investigator perform blood sampling through the administration lumen after interrupting the infusion. Plasma concentrations measured in this sample can be influenced by sorption of the previously infused compound to the catheter lumen. In this study, the quality of cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin plasma concentrations is investigated when sampling is performed through the administration lumen.