Pharmacokinetics of pefloxacin in renal insufficiency

Summary The kinetics of pefloxacin has been studied after a single intravenous infusion of 8 mg·kg^–1 in 15 male patients with various degrees of renal failure. No difference in distribution or elimination of the drug was observed between patients with mild or severe renal impairment. The mean volume of distribution (Vd area) and the mean plasma clearance were 2.03l·kg^–1 and 121.3 ml·min^–1, respectively. The mean apparent elimination half-life was 13.5 h. These values are close to those observed in healthy subjects. No accumulation of the active N-desmethylmetabolite was observed in cases of severe failure as compared to mild impairment; its apparent elimination half-life was about twice that of the parent drug. The efficacy of a 4 h haemodialysis in 6 additional anuric subjects done to remove pefloxacin from the body was poor.