Evaluation of valaciclovir dosage reduction in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

In continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients, acyclovir-induced neurotoxicity is reported to be associated with high serum drug levels even when following the recommended reduced doses for this renal failure population. In view of the high oral bioavailability of valaciclovir (the L-valyl ester of acyclovir) the risk of neurotoxicity becomes more prominent. The present study was conducted in 12 CAPD patients who were administered a single oral dose of 500 mg valaciclovir.

Rapid determination of valaciclovir and acyclovir in human biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography using isocratic elution.

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with isocratic elution is developed for the simultaneous quantification of valaciclovir (VACV) prodrug and its active converted compound, acyclovir (ACV), in biological fluids of treated patients. For serum, the samples are deproteinized with perchloric acid in presence of 1-methylguanosine as the internal standard (IS). For urine and dialysis liquid, the samples are diluted with a mobile phase containing the IS, then filtered.

Initiation of clinical pharmacy in Greece.

Intro: There was neither Clinical Pharmacy practice in Greece nor Hospital Formularies. Clinical Pharmacy (CP) services started experimentally during a 3-month period (February 1995-April 1995) at the 2nd surgical Department of "Apostle Paul-KAT" Hospital in Athens. Since then there has been a strategy plan for further CP development.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of oral acyclovir in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

It is increasingly recognised that dose adjustment of oral acyclovir in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients is necessary to avoid neurotoxicity. A single 800-mg oral dose of acyclovir was administered to 10 uninfected anuric patients who were treated by CAPD. Serial blood and CAPD bag samples were analysed for acyclovir during the 31 h after dosing.