Streptomycin pharmacokinetics in malnutrition.

Pharmacokinetic parameters of streptomycin such as plasma concentration, plasma half-life, urinary excretion, and in vitro and in vivo binding to plasma proteins were studied in undernourished and well-nourished individuals. None of the parameters studied were different in undernourished subjects as compared to those in well-nourished, in spite of significant differences in mean albumin values between the two groups. This may be attributed to unaltered protein binding of the drug in undernourished subjects in spite of low serum albumin levels, since streptomycin binds to globulins, in addition to albumin.