Inpharma 1573 - 3 Feb 2007

■ Ropivacaine clearance is reduced in chronic end-stage liver disease, report researchers from Finlandand Sweden. Their open study* involved 13 patientswith chronic end-stage liver disease, and eight healthysubjects, who received single IV infusions ofropivacaine 0.6 mg/kg. The mean peak totalropivacaine plasma concentration was similar inpatients and healthy subjects; however, the mean totalplasma clearance was significantly reduced by 60% inpatients, compared with healthy subjects, and theelimination t1/2 significantly prolonged from 2.6 to10.8 hours, respectively. Patients excreted a greaterproportion of the original dose as unchangedropivacaine, compared with healthy subjects (2.1% vs0.3%; p < 0.001), and a reduced proportion as3-hydroxyropivacaine (11% vs 27%; p = 0.001).* supported by Astra Pain Control

Jokinen MJ, et al. Pharmacokinetics of ropivacaine in patients with chronicend-stage liver disease. Anesthesiology 106: 43-55, No. 1, Jan2007 801061202

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Inpharma 3 Feb 2007 No. 15731173-8324/10/1573-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved