Retrospective analysis of a flucloxacillin oral absorption test in patients requiring flucloxacillin therapy: results and determination of factors associated with adequate absorption.

Objectives: Flucloxacillin has the most narrow spectrum to treat staphylococcal infections, but has a large variability in bioavailability which hampers its intravenous (iv) to oral switch. To identify patients with adequate absorption, the use of an oral absorption test (OAT) measuring total plasma concentrations of flucloxacillin before and after an oral dose of 1 gram flucloxacillin, was previously published. The current pilot study aims to evaluate the fraction of patients with adequate absorption using a similar OAT; to assess the therapeutic consequences and to identify potential factors associated with adequate absorption.

Alfa-1-antitrypsin deficiency: a predisposing factor leading to invasive infections?

This case report highlights for the first time a possible link between the presence of alfa-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and the susceptibility to invasive infections. The current patient, with known AATD, initially presented with nausea, vomiting and headache secondary to Listeria monocytogenes rhombencephalitis. Further on, he developed respiratory insufficiency due to probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Sonolysis of ciprofloxacin in aqueous solution: influence of operational parameters.

Ultrasonic irradiation is a promising technique for the degradation of persistent organic molecules such as pharmaceuticals in wastewater. This paper focuses on the sonolytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP), a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. During a first experiment at 25°C and 544 kHz, the degradation of a 15 mg L(-1) CIP-solution showed a pseudo-first order degradation constant k(1) equal to 0.