Determination of optimal dosage regimen for amikacin in healthy volunteers by study of pharmacokinetics and bactericidal activity

Abstract

The pharmacokinetics and serum killing curves of amikacin, which was administered by a 30-minute intravenous infusion of single doses of 7.5 mg/kg and then 15 mg/kg, were investigated in six healthy volunteers who received the two doses in a crossover study with a washout period of 20 days. The serum killing curves were determined for four bacterial species: Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All strains were serum resistant, and the bactericidal activity was analyzed by separating the early phase (first 5 h) and the late phase (24 h) of the killing curve. For the early phase, the bactericidal activity was evaluated by correlating an index of surviving bacteria with amikacin concentrations. This methodology allowed determination of two parameters: the maximal effective concentration and the lowest effective concentration. For the late phase, the threshold values separating bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities were lower than 10 mg/liter for each strain. The concentration dependence of amikacin bactericidal activity was confirmed for Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae and, to a lesser extent, for Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Correlation of these data with amikacin pharmacokinetic data in volunteers indicated that a daily dose of 15 mg/kg may be effective in the treatment of Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae infections. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens, the partially time-dependent activity probably necessitates two daily administrations and combination with another antibiotic.