An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the analysis of cefazolin and cefalothin in human plasma (total and unbound), urine and peritoneal dialysate has been developed and validated. Total plasma concentrations are measured following protein precipitation and are suitable for the concentration range of 1-500 µg/mL. Unbound concentrations are measured from ultra-filtered plasma acquired using Centrifree(®) devices and are suitable for the concentration range of 0.1-500 µg/mL for cefazolin and 1-500 µg/mL for cefalothin. The urine method is suitable for a concentration range of 0.1-20 mg/mL for cefazolin and 0.2-20 mg/mL for cefalothin. Peritoneal dialysate concentrations are measured using direct injection, and are suitable for the concentration range of 0.2-100 µg/mL for both cefazolin and cefalothin. The cefazolin and cefalothin plasma (total and unbound), urine and peritoneal dialysate results are reported for recovery, inter-assay precision and accuracy, and the lower limit of quantification, linearity, stability and matrix effects, with all results meeting acceptance criteria. The method was used successfully in a pilot pharmacokinetic study with patients with peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis, receiving either intraperitoneal cefazolin or cefalothin. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keywords: UHPLC-MS/MS; b-lactam antibiotics; bio-analysis; protein binding.
Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.