SERUM DIGOXIN LEVELS AFTER CONCOMITANT TICARCILLIN AND CLAVULANIC ACID ADMINISTRATION

Recently it has been recognized that steady-state serum digoxin concen trations may increase or fall to ineffective levels when the glycoside is administered together with several antibiotics. Our study was desi gned to assess if serum digoxin levels may be modified by the concomit ant use of a ticarcillin and clavulanic acid. The study was carried ou t in 15 hospitalized patients suffering from exacerbation of their chr onic bronchitis without liver disease and renal failure. Serum digoxin levels were not significantly modified by the concomitant use of a ti carcillin and clavulanic acid, although peak digoxin serum concentrati ons were slightly lower. However, the average time to achieve the maxi mum concentration and area under the curve over 24 h did not change.