Pressure ulcer management in the geriatric patient.

OBJECTIVE: To increase the understanding of pharmacists and other health-system clinicians regarding pharmaceutical applications of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in geriatric patients. DATA SOURCES: An extensive MEDLINE retrieval was conducted which encompassed the years 1967-1998; the search terms used included pressure sore, pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer, and geriatrics. DATA SUMMARY: Pressure ulcers affect populations with limited mobility, reduced cognition, and less-independent activities of daily living, such as the elderly. Identification of the high-risk patient is required for successful prevention outcomes. For existing lesions, a variety of treatment modalities exist, not all of which have demonstrated therapeutic benefit. Given these options, clinicians are faced with treatment selection challenges that should be based on the clinical setting, available scientific evidence, and individualized patient care needs. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention of pressure ulcerations is imperative to reduce patient morbidity, mortality, and overall healthcare costs. Given the number of treatment options available, pharmacists can assist in the treatment selection process. Education of the patient and family regarding pressure ulcer prevention and treatment requires early and ongoing involvement by the interdisciplinary team.

Alteration in the pharmacokinetic disposition of ciprofloxacin by simultaneous administration of azlocillin.

Healthy subjects were given single intravenous doses of ciprofloxacin, azlocillin, and the two drugs simultaneously on separate occasions. High-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis was used to assay the concentrations of both drugs in serum and urine. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by noncompartmental methods. The total body (CL), renal (CLR), and nonrenal (CLNR) clearances; steady-state volume of distribution (Vss); and fractional urinary excretion of ciprofloxacin were all markedly decreased with the simultaneous administration of azlocillin. The disposition of azlocillin was unchanged when it was given with ciprofloxacin compared to when it was given alone. The pharmacokinetic parameters (mean +/- standard deviation) of ciprofloxacin given alone versus in combination with azlocillin were as follows: CL, 52.2 +/- 9.2 versus 33.9 +/- 6.0 liters/h (P less than 0.0005); CLR, 26.5 +/- 4.8 versus 16.2 +/- 4.2 liters/h (P less than 0.0005); CLNR, 25.8 +/- 5.5 versus 17.7 +/- 4.0 liters/h (P less than 0.03); Vss, 224 +/- 30 versus 166 +/- 41 liters (P less than 0.01); fractional urinary excretion, 0.56 +/- 0.06 versus 0.43 +/- 0.04 (P less than 0.002), respectively. This interaction resulted in significantly higher and more prolonged concentrations of ciprofloxacin in serum, which may be beneficial in the treatment of serious gram-negative bacterial infections, but it could also produce greater toxicity or result in more pronounced effects on oxidative drug metabolism of other medications.

Serum bactericidal activity from intravenous ciprofloxacin and azlocillin given alone and in combination to healthy subjects.

Ciprofloxacin plus azlocillin have been shown to exhibit in vitro synergy versus a variety of organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study examined this interaction in vivo, testing serum bactericidal activity (SBA) in six healthy male subjects after intravenous administration of ciprofloxacin 4 mg/kg (C), azlocillin 60 mg/kg (A), and the two simultaneously (C/A). Eight different organisms were tested: four isolates of P. aeruginosa with varying susceptibilities to C and A, and one isolate each of Escherichia coli (EC), Staphylococcus aureus (SA) Serratia marcescens (SM), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), all of which were susceptible to both drugs. Blood samples were collected at the end of 30-min infusions and at 4 and 8 hr. Reciprocal titers were plotted versus time and area under the bactericidal titer curve (AUBC) calculated to assess antibacterial interactions. Results indicated that P. aeruginosa-1 (PA-1), EC, and KP were synergistically killed by C/A. AUBC for PA-1 were C = 36, A = 11, C/A = 144, p less than 0.05. AUBC for EC were C = 1059, A = 180, C/A = 1504, p = 0.05. AUBC for KP were C = 327, A = 97, C/A = 584, p = 005. Additive effects were demonstrated versus all of the other organisms except Serratia marcescens, where an indifferent effect was observed. Ciprofloxacin plus azlocillin may be a useful combination of the treatment of selected Gram-negative bacillary infections.