Metronidazole population pharmacokinetics in preterm neonates using dried blood-spot sampling.

Objectives: To characterize the population pharmacokinetics of metronidazole in preterm neonates.

Patients And Methods: Data were collected prospectively from 32 preterm neonates who received intravenous metronidazole for the treatment of or prophylaxis against necrotizing enterocolitis. Dried blood spots (n = 203) on filter paper were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the data were subjected to pharmacokinetic analysis performed by using nonlinear mixed-effect modeling.

Development and validation of a dried blood spot-HPLC assay for the determination of metronidazole in neonatal whole blood samples.

A selective and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method with UV detection for the determination of metronidazole in dried blood spots (DBS) has been developed and validated. DBS samples [spiked or patient samples] were prepared by applying blood (30 microL) to Guthrie cards. Discs (6 mm diameter) were punched from the cards and extracted using water containing the internal standard, tinidazole.