An UPLC-MS detection method for the quantification of five antibiotics in human plasma

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Neonatal Medicine

Background:

• Development and validation of an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) method.
• Quantification of five critical antibiotics: amikacin, flucloxacillin, meropenem, penicillin G, and vancomycin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a reliable analytical method for antibiotic quantification.
• To enable pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in specific infant populations.

Main Methods:

• Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) for detection.
• Method validation including linearity, accuracy, and imprecision assessments.

Main Results:

• Linear calibration curves established for all five antibiotics across specified concentration ranges.
• Accuracy within 85-115% and imprecision (CV) within 15% for both between- and within-run measurements.
• Demonstrated suitability for quantifying therapeutic drug levels.

Conclusions:

• The validated UPLC-MS method provides accurate and precise quantification of amikacin, flucloxacillin, meropenem, penicillin G, and vancomycin.
• The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in very preterm and small for gestational age infants.
• This supports therapeutic drug monitoring in neonates treated for nosocomial infections.