Exposure to Acetaminophen and All Its Metabolites Upon 10, 15, and 20Mg/Kg Intravenous Acetaminophen in Very-Preterm Infants
Articles | Clinical Investigation nature publishing group Exposure to acetaminophen and all its metabolites upon 10, 15, and 20mg/kg intravenous acetaminophen in very-preterm infants Robert B. Flint1,2,3,11, Daniella W. Roofthooft1,11,AnnevanRongen4,5, Richard A. van Lingen6, Johannes N. van den Anker7,8,9, Monique van Dijk1,7, Karel Allegaert1,7,10, Dick Tibboel7, Catherijne A.J. Knibbe4,5 and Sinno H.P. Simons1 BACKGROUND: Exposure to acetaminophen and its meta- acetaminophen as an opioid-sparing therapy in adults and bolites in very-preterm infants is partly unknown. We children has now been introduced in neonatal intensive care investigated the exposure to acetaminophen and its meta- units across the globe (4). However, only very limited data of bolites upon 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg intravenous acetaminophen its use are available in the most preterm infants (5,6). in preterm infants. Acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-amino-phenol) is extensively METHODS: In a randomized trial, 59 preterm infants metabolized in the liver. The main pathways involved are (24–32 weeks’ gestational age, postnatal age o1 week) glucuronidation and sulfation, which in adults account for received 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg acetaminophen intravenously. ~ 55 and 30% of acetaminophen metabolism, respectively Plasma concentrations of acetaminophen and its metabolites (7–9) (Figure 1). Only 2–5% is excreted unchanged in the (glucuronide, sulfate, cysteine, mercapturate, and glutathione) urine. Approximately 5–10% of acetaminophen is metabo- were determined in 293 blood samples. Area under the lized by cytochrome P450 (CYP), primarily by the CYP2E1 – plasma concentration time curves (AUC0–500 min) was related enzyme (10–12), to the toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzo- to dose and gestational age.
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