Increased plasma binding of quinidine after surgery: a preliminary report

The plasma binding of quinidine and phenytoin has been studied pre- and postoperatively in nine patients submitted to planned gastric surgery. The binding of phenytoin showed a slight and transient reduction, whilst quinidine binding was markedly increased, on average from 78.5% on the day of operation to a maximum of 87.5%, after 2-4 days. The time course of the increase was strikingly parallel to that of the concentration of certain acute phase proteins.