Can systemically administered antibiotics be detected in wound tissues and surfaces under negative pressure wound therapy?

In this study, we evaluated a new aspect of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) as an analytical tool for pharmacokinetic studies. Twenty-one patients with soft tissue defects scheduled to receive NPWT were included in this study. Concomitant to NPWT, all patients received intravenous moxifloxacin (MX). At different time intervals, blood plasma levels of MX were sampled and compared with synchronous concentrations of MX in the exudate obtained from the NPWT drainage system. Serial measurements were performed upon initiation of the therapy as well as in the steady state (after 5 days). At steady state, wound tissue was obtained intraoperatively. High-performance liquid-chromatography (HPLC) was used for analysis. At 1 hour post-administration, the exudate/plasma levels (mg/L) were 1.92/3.07; at 12 hours, 0.80/1.14; at 24 hours, 0.26/0.43; and at 120 hours (steady state), 0.42/0.47. There was a correlation between exudate and plasma levels reaching approximately 0.75. Until now, methods for pharmacokinetic studies concerning interstitial fluid are difficult to apply in the clinical context. The presented method showed limitations, but we believe that, after methodological improvements, measurements of substances in the interstitial fluid by means of NPWT are feasible.