Effect of fever on pharmacokinetics and dosage regimen of intramuscularly administered amikacin in goats

A comparative pharmacokinetic study of amikacin (10 mg/kg intramuscular) by microbiological assay method in normal and experimentally induced febrile goats revealed that the plasma drug concentrations were significantly higher in febrile condition at most of the time intervals. Various pharmacokinetic parameters like t(1/2), AUC, AUMC, MRT and Vd(area) were significantly higher whereas total body clearance (Cl(B)) was significantly lower in febrile goats as compared to normal goats. Absorption half-life (t(1/2) ka) value differed non-significantly. For maintaining mean therapeutic level of 2 mg/ml, a priming dose (D*) of 14.73+/-2.28 mg/kg, followed by maintenance dose (D(o)) of 13.95+/-2.28 mg/kg at shorter dosage interval (tau) of 8 hr may be useful in case of normal goats whereas lower doses (D* of 13.58+/-1.61 mg/kg followed by D(o) of 12.65+/-1.60 mg/kg) at longer tau of 12 hr may be advised in case of febrile goats.