Clinical pharmacokinetics of ketoprofen after single intravenous administration as a bolus or infusion.

The pharmacokinetics of ketoprofen were evaluated in 29 patients suffering from acute renal colic following a single intravenous administration as a bolus or short infusion (1.5 and 2 hours), and after a loading dose and a 24-hour infusion. Serum concentrations of ketoprofen were measured by high pressure liquid chromatography. The mean (+/- SD) values of clinical parameters were as follows: distribution half-life = 0.34 +/- 0.19 h; elimination half-life = 2.05 +/- 0.58 h; kel = 0.968 +/- 0.282 h-1; k21 = 0.943 +/- 0.425 h-1; k12 = 1.004 +/- 0.708 h-1; volume of central compartment = 5.58 +/- 1.67L; volume of tissue compartment = 5.14 +/- 2.12L; plasma clearance = 5.10 +/- 1.14L/h. These results concur with previously published data obtained after oral or intramuscular administration. According to clinical observations, administration of a ketoprofen bolus suppressed pain within 5 to 30 minutes; the administration of a loading dose and a 24-hour infusion is almost never followed by a recurrence of pain, and this regimen was proposed as the dosage schedule of ketoprofen to treat renal colic.