Method: A total of 24 elastomeric devices were prepared, and six elastomeric devices containing 6mg/mL of ceftaroline (three in each type of diluents) were stored at one of the following conditions: 4°C for 6 days, 25°C for 24hours, 30°C for 24hours or 35°C for 24hours. An aliquot was withdrawn before storage and at different time points. Chemical stability was measured using a stability indicating high-performance liquid chromatography, and physical stability was assessed as change in pH, colour and particle content.
Results: Ceftaroline, when admixed with both diluents, was stable for 144, 24 and 12hours at 4°C, 25°C and 30°C, respectively. At 35°C, ceftaroline admixed with normal saline (NS) and glucose 5% was stable for 12hours and for 6hours, respectively. No evidence of particle formation, colour change or pH change was observed throughout the study period.
Conclusions: Our findings support 12 or 24hours continuous elastomeric infusion of ceftaroline-NS admixture, and bulk preparation of elastomeric pumps containing ceftaroline solution in advance. This would facilitate early hospital discharge of patients eligible for the elastomeric-based home therapy and avoid the need for patient's caregivers travelling to the hospital on a daily basis.
Methods: Four ampoules of intravenous co-trimoxazole were injected into an infusion bag containing either 480 (1:25 v/v), 380 (1:20 v/v), 280 (1:15 v/v) or 180 (1:10 v/v) mL of glucose 5% solution. Three bags for each dilution (total 12 bags) were prepared and stored at room temperature. An aliquot was withdrawn immediately (at 0 hour) and after 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 hours of storage for high-performance liquid-chromatography (HPLC) analysis, and additional samples were withdrawn every half an hour for microscopic examination. Each sample was analysed for the concentration of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole using a stability indicating HPLC method. Samples were assessed for pH, change in colour (visually) and for particle content (microscopically) immediately after preparation and on each time of analysis.
Results: Intravenous co-trimoxazole at 1:25, 1:20, 1:15 and 1:10 v/v retained more than 98% of the initial concentration of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole for 4 hours. There was no major change in pH at time zero and at various time points. Microscopically, no particles were detected for at least 4 hours and 2 hours when intravenous co-trimoxazole was diluted at 1:25 or 1:20 and 1:15 v/v, respectively. More than 1200 particles/mL were detected after 2.5 hours of storage when intravenous co-trimoxazole was diluted at 1:15 v/v.
Conclusions: Intravenous co-trimoxazole is stable over a period of 4 hours when diluted with 380 mL of glucose 5% solution (1:20 v/v) and for 2 hours when diluted with 280 mL glucose 5% solution (1:15 v/v).