RESUMEN
AIMS: Adequate plasma concentrations of antibiotics during surgery are essential for the prevention of surgical site infections. We examined the pharmacokinetics of 1.5 g cefuroxime administered during induction of anaesthesia with follow-up doses every 2.5 hours until the end of surgery. We built a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model with the aim to ensure adequate antibiotic plasma concentrations in a heterogeneous population. METHODS: A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PK-Sim® /MoBi® ) was developed to investigate unbound plasma concentrations of cefuroxime. Blood samples from 25 thoracic surgical patients were analysed with high-performance liquid chromatography. To evaluate optimized dosing regimens, physiologically based pharmacokinetic model simulations were conducted. RESULTS: Dosing simulations revealed that a standard dosing regimen of 1.5 g every 2.5 hours reached the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic target for Staphylococcus aureus. However, for Escherichia coli, >50% of the study participants did not reach predefined targets. Effectiveness of cefuroxime against E. coli can be improved by administering a 1.5 g bolus immediately followed by a continuous infusion of 3 g cefuroxime over 3 hours. CONCLUSION: The use of cefuroxime for perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent staphylococcal surgical site infections appears to be effective with standard dosing of 1.5 g preoperatively and follow-up doses every 2.5 hours. In contrast, if E. coli is relevant in surgeries, this dosing regimen appears insufficient. With our derived dose recommendations, we provide a solution for this issue.