Disposition kinetics of amikacin in patients with renal impairment after intramuscular administration.

The disposition kinetics of amikacin were established in 12 patients with varying degrees of renal impairment (Clcr less than 70 ml/min) after i.m. administration of a dose of 7.5 mg antibiotic/kg body wt. Administered intramuscularly, amikacin follows a single-compartment open kinetic model. A decrease may be observed in the absorption and elimination processes in this kind of patient, and mathematical relationships may be established between the variation in the pharmacokinetic parameters and the creatinine clearance. The decrease observed in the elimination constant of amikacin is similar to that observed after i.v. administration of the antibiotic. A dosage regimen for administration of the antibiotic is proposed for this kind of patient on the basis of desired peak and trough serum levels obtained throughout treatment.