Determination of cefepime and cefpirome in human serum by high-performanceliquid chromatography using an ultrafiltration for antibiotics serum extraction

The aim of this study was to describe a high-performance liquid chromatogra phy (HPLC) assay for the determination of cefepime and cefpirome in human s erum without changing chromatographic conditions. The assay consisted to me asure cefepime and cefpirome which were unbound to proteins having a molecu lar mass of 10 000 or more by ultrafiltration followed by HPLC with a Supel cosil ABZ+ column and UV detection at a wavelength of 263 nm. The assay was been found to be Linear and has been validated over the concentration rang e 200 to 0.50 mu g/ml for both cefepime and cefpirome, from 200 mu l serum, extracted. In future, the assay will support therapeutic drug monitoring f or cefepime and cefpirome in neutropenic patients in correlation with micro biological parameters such as MIC90 (minimal inhibitory concentration of an tibiotic which kills 90% of the initial bacterial inoculum) and clinical ef ficacy. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.