The pharmacokinetics of meropenem in surgical patients with moderate or severe infections

The pharmacokinetics of meropenem were studied in a group of 11 surgical patients (four male, seven female; mean age 63 years; mean weight 72 kg) all of whom had moderate or severe infection and who received a mean dose of 14-5 mg/kg ± 2-7 meropenem 8-hourly iv for a minimum of 4 days. Venous blood samples were collected at timed intervals after the first dose on day 1 and the second dose on the fourth or fifth day of therapy. Serum meropenem concentrations were assayed by HPLC and fitted to a two compartment pharmacokinetic model. The mean pharmacokinetic parameters ( ± standard deviation) on day 1 were Tm 84-6 ± 241 min, V&