The single-dose pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone were studied in 7 extremely low birth weight infants of mean(± SD) gestational age 25.6 ±0.5 weeks suffering bronchopulmonary dysplasia. A mean peak dexamethasone concentration of 250.5 ± 70.7 ng/ml was obtained following an intravenous bolus dose (0.369 ± 0.04 mg/kg dexamethasone) of dexamethasone sodium phosphate. Dexamethasone was measured in plasma by HPLC. Mean clearance (0.143 ± 0.028 litres/kg/h) was approximately half that reported previously in children and adults, while the half-life (9.26 ± 3.34 h) was 2-to 3-fold longer than in these patients. The volume of distribution(1.9 ± 0.483 litres/kg) was larger than reported in a previous study in adults, but was similar to that determined in pediatric and adult patients in another study.

Keywords:
Dexamethasone, Pharmacokinetics, Premature infants, Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
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1993
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