Tu. Anthony et Lg. Rubin, Stability of antibiotics used for antibiotic-lock treatment of infections of implantable venous devices (Ports), ANTIM AG CH, 43(8), 1999, pp. 2074-2076
Antibiotic-lock is a treatment for catheter-related bloodstream infections
in which a solution containing heparin and an antibiotic dwells in the lume
n of the catheter or port. We tested the stability of vancomycin, cefazolin
, ticarcillin-clavulanic acid, ceftazidime, or ciprofloxacin combined with
heparin after incubation in vitro at 25 or 37 degrees C for intervals of up
to 10 days by bioassay. All the antibiotic solutions except ceftazidime re
tained greater than or equal to 90% activity at both 25 and 37 degrees C. T
hus, studies of antibiotic-heparin lock solutions with dwell times of up to
10 days are feasible.