Determination of imipenem (N-formimidoyl thienamycin) in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography, comparison with microbiological methodology and stability.

High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods using ultraviolet (UV) detection have been developed for the assay of the antibiotic imipenem (N-formimidoyl thienamycin) in human plasma and urine. A reversed-phase analytical column is employed in the plasma assay method and a cation-exchange column is used in the urine assay method. Both methods use borate buffer in the mobile phase. The method of preparation of human fluid samples for HPLC injection has been optimized with respect to the stability of imipenem in aqueous buffers, in morpholine buffer--ethylene glycol stabilizer, and in urine and plasma. Preparation of the samples before injection into the HPLC systems involves deproteination/filtration of the plasma/urine samples. The open lactam metabolite and the coadministered dehydropeptidase inhibitor, cilastatin sodium, do not interfere with the 313-nm detection of imipenem in either the plasma or the urine assay. Thienamycin, the precursor of imipenem and an impurity in imipenem formulations, is separated from the drug using both of these methods. Concentrations generated from the HPLC analysis of plasma and urine samples from two healthy volunteers compare favorably with results using a microbiological assay method. Correlation of the two methods gives r greater than or equal to 0.990 for both fluids.