Pharmacokinetics and the optimal regimen for levofloxacin in critically ill patients receiving continuous hemodiafiltration

Abstract

The aim of this study was to establish the pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin (LVFX) and determine the optimal dose of this drug in critically ill patients receiving continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF). The results of in vivo and in vitro studies showed the pharmacokinetics of LVFX total clearance (CLtotal) according to the creatinine clearance (CLCre), dialysate flow (QD), and ultrafiltrate flow (QF), to be as follows: CLtotal (l/h) = 0.0836 × CLCre (ml/min) + 0.013 × body weight (kg) + 0.94(QD + QF) (l/h). The optimal dose of LVFX was expressed by the following formula: 50 × CLtotal. These results demonstrate that the usual dose of LVFX (500 mg) was sufficient for the patients evaluated in this study.