Residual chemotherapy drugs after flushing infusion lines.

Introduction: During administration of chemotherapies, disconnection presents risks for nurses. Thus, it is recommended to flush the infusion line with solvent to reduce this risk and ensure that the entire dose is administered. Objectives of this study were to evaluate flushing practices and to investigate the efficiency of flushing, according to the type of hospitalization, in hospitalization (HU) or day-care unit (DCU), for three drugs.

LC determination of oxcarbazepine and its active metabolite in human serum.

Twenty-five percent of epileptic patients present refractory seizures to current frontline antiepileptic drugs, needing new treatments and leading to the introduction of several new AEDs, among which is oxcarbazepine (Trileptal). This 10-ketoanalogue of carbamazepine seems to be a weaker inducer of cytochrome P450 3A4. However, pharmacokinetic interactions with clinical significance have already been reported, before the marketing of Trileptal in France.

Simultaneous determination of four antiepileptic drugs in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of oxcarbazepine, 10-hydroxycarbamazepine, epoxycarbamazepine, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and phenytoin. After protein precipitation by acetonitrile, the supernatant was analysed on a C18 reversed-phase HPLC column. Antiepileptic drugs and oxazepam (internal standard) were detected by ultraviolet absorbance at 240 nm.

Reduced ammonium chloride haemolysis time enhances the number of isolated functional rabbit polymorphonuclear neutrophils.

In the present study we compared seven different methods for isolating rabbit polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) with a view to assessing viability, lymphocyte contamination and isolation yield. The two methods offering the best isolation yield and functional PMNs were retained. Leukocyte-containing plasma fraction was obtained after erythrocyte sedimentation with dextran.

Time and concentration dependent influence of dirithromycin on neutrophils oxidative burst.

Dirithromycin is a 14-membered macrolide antibiotic, well known to yield high intragranulocytic levels after several hour exposure. We chose therefore to investigate oxidative metabolism after prolonged incubation periods with neutrophils. Neutrophil generation of reactive oxygen species, represented by superoxide anion, was assessed after fMLP or Staphylococcus aureus-induced activation of the respiratory burst.