Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 1979, 16, 217
Technical note Table Percentage rem very of paracetamol in plasma samples in the presence of known amounts of antibiotics
Interference by antibiotics in plasma paracetamol determination
Antibiotic
.·Jlllm4l/lJ ~u
Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences, Ring Road, New Delhi-110016, India
ASIT K. CHAKRABARTY
fir antibiotics added . __ ._--50
HIO ---
The determination of paracetamol in plasma is gaining in importance in the clinical laboratory from the standpoint of toxicological enquiries. Significant liver damage has been detected by both histopathological and biochemical tests (James et al., 1975). It has been considered that the measurement of plasma paracetamollevels can give a guide to the likelihood of liver damage in paracetamol poisoning. However, before a paracetamol overdose some patients may have taken antibiotics for their diseases, and hence the plasma paracetamol determination may be affected by the presence of these antibiotics in the plasma. Recently it has been shown that the presence of a number of barbiturates and antipyretics does not interfere with the colorimetric estimation of plasma paracetamol as determined by the indophenol reaction (Wilkinson, 1976). In the present study, attempts have been made to discover any interference by some commonly used antibiotic agents in the estimation of plasma paracetamol. Different amounts of tetracycline, streptomycin, or chloramphenicol were added to serum samples containing 200 ug paracetamol per ml; and the samples were analysed for the paracetamol content by the method of Wilkinson (1976). The maximum plasma concentration of these antibiotics is said to range from 2 to 40 Ilg per ml of plasma (Garrod et al., 1973). The Table shows the recovery of paracetamol from serum samples containing increasing amounts of antibiotics.
n2
(~~/ml srTUm)
-_
200 ..
_--_ ..
40
500
_-40
Tr-u-acvcline
lUll
(:lIIOl-ampllt"uil"(,1
11iU
~IO
H.'J
70
62
St reptomycin
IUU
IIlU
IOU
100
100
:lB
Incrcasinp
Technical note Table Percentage rem very of paracetamol in plasma samples in the presence of known amounts of antibiotics
Interference by antibiotics in plasma paracetamol determination
Antibiotic
.·Jlllm4l/lJ ~u
Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences, Ring Road, New Delhi-110016, India
ASIT K. CHAKRABARTY
fir antibiotics added . __ ._--50
HIO ---
The determination of paracetamol in plasma is gaining in importance in the clinical laboratory from the standpoint of toxicological enquiries. Significant liver damage has been detected by both histopathological and biochemical tests (James et al., 1975). It has been considered that the measurement of plasma paracetamollevels can give a guide to the likelihood of liver damage in paracetamol poisoning. However, before a paracetamol overdose some patients may have taken antibiotics for their diseases, and hence the plasma paracetamol determination may be affected by the presence of these antibiotics in the plasma. Recently it has been shown that the presence of a number of barbiturates and antipyretics does not interfere with the colorimetric estimation of plasma paracetamol as determined by the indophenol reaction (Wilkinson, 1976). In the present study, attempts have been made to discover any interference by some commonly used antibiotic agents in the estimation of plasma paracetamol. Different amounts of tetracycline, streptomycin, or chloramphenicol were added to serum samples containing 200 ug paracetamol per ml; and the samples were analysed for the paracetamol content by the method of Wilkinson (1976). The maximum plasma concentration of these antibiotics is said to range from 2 to 40 Ilg per ml of plasma (Garrod et al., 1973). The Table shows the recovery of paracetamol from serum samples containing increasing amounts of antibiotics.
n2
(~~/ml srTUm)
-_
200 ..
_--_ ..
40
500
_-40
Tr-u-acvcline
lUll
(:lIIOl-ampllt"uil"(,1
11iU
~IO
H.'J
70
62
St reptomycin
IUU
IIlU
IOU
100
100
:lB
Incrcasinp
