[Pharmacokinetic evaluation of linezolid in patients with major thermal injuries]

The aims of this multicentre open-label study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of linezolid in patients with burn injury above 20 % BSA and to compare them with healthy volunteers, matched in age, sex and weight. After a single 600 mg IV dose of linezolid, multiple blood and urine samples were taken from subjects, in order to determine linezolid concentrations, using a HPLC assay. C(max) and volume of distribution at steady state were not different between the two groups. Values describing clearance were altered in burns, leading to a reduction by half in AUC in these patients (42.5 versus 98.1 mghL(-1)). The enhancement of clearance was due to which of non renal clearance (323+/-191 versus 80.4+/-27.5 mLmin(-1)). We conclude that pharmacokinetics of linezolid are altered in burn patients, in a magnitude sufficient that linezolid concentration may be subtherapeutic in some patients and we suggest that the dosage interval may need to be decreased in this patient population.