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Updated: Aug 9, 2025

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses
Published on: August 30, 2018
Simple HPLC-UV Method for Piperacillin/Tazobactam Assay in Human Plasma
Khaled Abdelkawy1, Tyson Le2, Sherif Hanafy Mahmoud2
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 6860404, Egypt.
Background:
Piperacillin (Pip)/tazobactam (Taz) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that has been commonly used in the intensive care unit for severe and life-threatening infections. Recent evidence suggests that therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for Pip could be beneficial in clinical practice to facilitate dose optimization and increase the odds of treatment success. The aim was to develop and validate a sensitive and simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous quantification of Pip and Taz in human plasma.
Methods:
Samples (0.3 mL) were deproteinized with acetonitrile. The supernatant was evaporated and then reconstituted and injected into the HPLC. The chromatographic analysis was carried out by using the C18 column and gradient elution with the acetonitrile:water mobile phase mixture with 0.1% trifluoracetic acid at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min using a UV detector at 218 nm.
Results:
The method had acceptable linearity (r2 > 0.99) over the concentration ranges of 0.5-400 μg/mL and 1-100 μg/mL for Pip and Taz, respectively. The method demonstrated acceptable inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy within ±20% with adequate stability results.
Conclusion:
The developed method is sensitive and simple and utilizes simple sample preparation and elution steps, making it suitable and practical for Pip/Taz TDM.
Insights
A new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method allows for sensitive and simultaneous quantification of piperacillin (Pip) and tazobactam (Taz) in plasma. This method supports therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for optimizing antibiotic dosing in critical care settings.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Piperacillin/tazobactam (Pip/Taz) is crucial for treating severe infections in ICUs.
- Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of piperacillin may enhance treatment efficacy.
- A need exists for a reliable method to quantify Pip and Taz in plasma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a sensitive and simple HPLC method.
- To enable simultaneous quantification of piperacillin and tazobactam in human plasma.
- To support therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for Pip/Taz.
Main Methods:
- HPLC with UV detection at 218 nm.
- C18 column with gradient elution using an acetonitrile:water mobile phase.
- Simple sample preparation involving acetonitrile deproteinization.
Main Results:
- The method demonstrated excellent linearity (r² > 0.99) for both drugs.
- Acceptable precision, accuracy (within ±20%), and stability were achieved.
- Quantification ranges were 0.5-400 μg/mL for Pip and 1-100 μg/mL for Taz.
Conclusions:
- The developed HPLC method is sensitive, simple, and practical.
- The method's straightforward sample preparation and elution make it suitable for Pip/Taz TDM.
- Facilitates dose optimization for improved patient outcomes in critical care.

