Vancomycin disposition during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a pharmacokinetic analysis of peritoneal drug transport.

Expressions are presented to describe the absorption and also clearance of drugs administered into the peritoneal cavity of patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Application of the expressions to vancomycin kinetics in five male CAPD patients showed that therapeutic levels of vancomycin can readily be achieved and maintained in the systemic circulation by administering the appropriate loading and maintenance doses. The intrinsic peritoneal clearance of vancomycin reported here is higher than the apparent clearances reported previously, averaging 300 to 500 ml/min under the conditions used in this study. The low apparent clearances previously reported are useful clinically although they do not represent the true efficiency of vancomycin removal by CAPD. The degree to which apparent clearance underestimates the true intrinsic clearance is exponentially related to the dwell time of dialysate in the peritoneum. Intraperitoneal administration is a practical alternative to other routes for CAPD patients needing antibiotic or other therapy.