Pharmacokinetics of a Clarithromycin Suspension Administered via Nasogastric Tube to Seriously Ill Patients

The pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin and its 14-(R)-hydroxylated metabolite were studied on two separate occasions after nasogastric administration of 500 mg of a clarithromycin suspension to 16 seriously ill adults in an intensive care unit. The clarithromycin suspension appeared to be adequately absorbed, and the pharmacokinetics of neither clarithromycin nor 14-(R)-hydroxyclarithromycin differed significantly between the two dosing periods. No substantial differences in pharmacokinetics were observed compared to previously published studies of other adult populations. Minimal intrapatient variability of pharmacokinetic parameters was observed in these seriously ill patients.