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NACB Symposium |
1
Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201.
2
Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin
and Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Milwaukee, WI 53226.
a Address correspondence to this author at: Medical College of Wisconsin, 8700 Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53226. Fax 414-456-6305; e-mail shwong{at}mcw.edu.
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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Analgesics are used in the treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions. Their use in treating both acute and chronic pain syndromes such as cephalgia or dysmenorrhea is well recognized. With the exception of acetaminophen and tramadol, the above analgesics, also classified as NSAIDs, are indicated for the treatment of acute or chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, acute pericarditis, and Kawasaki's disease. Antipyresis is another common indication for the administration of these agents, particularly in the pediatric age group. Acetylsalicylic acid may be useful for the prevention of thrombosis in patients with coronary artery or cerebrovascular disease, given its antiplatelet effect, and salicylate may have a role in minimizing tissue hypoxia-reperfusion injury after organ transplantation (4). Finally, increasingly important clinical applications are being realized by both NSAIDs and opioid analgesics for the treatment of postoperative and cancer pain (5).
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of NSAIDs was previously reviewed (6). This discussion focuses on the clinical and analytical issues surrounding the monitoring of commonly used analgesic drugs. Emphasis is on clinical, pharmacologic, and analytical issues applicable to the practice of TDM and toxicology (7)(8). Analgesics discussed are those readily available in over-the-counter preparations, such as acetaminophen, salicylates, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Other areas briefly presented include emerging concepts with regard to cytochrome (CYP) P450 metabolism and other phase I and II metabolic pathways, the contribution of both active and inactive metabolites to drug toxicity and drug-drug interactions, chirality, and confounding issues surrounding workplace drug testing for certain opioids (9)(10)(11)(12). This review does not extensively cover traditional opioid analgesics, such as morphine and codeine, that have been adequately addressed in the arenas of clinical toxicology and forensic urine drug testing/workplace drug testing (13).
| Indications for Monitoring |
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1. To confirm or identify suspected drug toxicity in chronic use,
therapeutic misadventure, or accidental or intentional acute overdose.
Recommendations within this category may vary from drug to drug and are
proposed as follows by agent: A. Acetaminophen concentrations
are recommended in the following situations:
suspected
dose-related drug toxicity
acute overdose
chronic
abuse
suspected patient noncompliance
change in liver
or renal function
screening for acetaminophen as a
co-ingestant (advised in all patients with intentional drug over
dose)
B. Salicylate concentrations are recommended in the following
situations:
suspected dose-related drug toxicity
acute overdose
chronic abuse
suspected
noncompliance
change in renal function, mental status,
acid-base status, or pulmonary status in patients using salicylates
chronically
after the addition of a second drug that
alters salicylate pharmacokinetics
screening as a
co-ingestant after intentional drug overdose
C. Ibuprofen and naproxen concentrations are rarely indicated but
could be considered in the following
situations:
suspected noncompliance
change in renal or hepatic function in a patient using these
medications chronically
D. Opioid monitoring, specifically for meperidine or
propoxyphene/norpropoxyphene is recommended in the following
situations:
suspected noncompliance
presence of symptoms suggestive of dose-related
propoxyphene/norpropoxyphene toxicity (i.e., a change in mental status,
seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, or electrocardiographic
changes)
presence of symptoms suggestive of
dose-related meperidine/normeperidine toxicity (i.e., myoclonic
twitching, seizures, or changes in mental status or renal
function)
opioid screening may be a useful adjunct
to monitoring those patients enrolled in programs or undergoing
workplace drugs-of-abuse testing
2. To aid in the identification of an unknown drug ingested in unknown quantities, drug identification and/or quantitation may be performed as an adjunct for patient management, in consultation with the clinical staff.
3. To monitor selected patient groups at greater risk for analgesic drug toxicity or drug-drug interaction, i.e., geriatric or alcoholic patients.
4. To confirm complete drug absorption and adequate drug elimination as an adjunct in drug overdose management.
| Preanalytical Issues |
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Because the majority of analgesics-monitoring is for toxicity, serum or
plasma would be acceptable specimens. However, for salicylates, use
only red-topped, heparin, or EDTA tubes (14).
Table 1
shows sampling considerations and selected pharmacokinetic
parameters, modified from the published data of Wilson (15)
and Cannon et al. (16). Therapeutic monitoring of analgesics
requires steady-state trough samples. Samples and timing requirements
in the overdose setting are dependent on the analgesic and time of
ingestion. Generally, serum and/or urine are the samples of choice.
Because of the clinical status of the overdosed patient, serum samples
might precede urine samples. For urine collection, a noninvasive
procedure is more "popular" for workplace or drug rehabilitation
screening. Because the majority of the analgesics are excreted as
urinary metabolites (see Table 1
), urinary screening may be more
practical in some settings. Although there are no active metabolites
for acetaminophen, salicylic acid, or ibuprofen (17),
meperidine and propoxyphene are hepatically metabolized to the toxic
substances normeperidine and norpropoxyphene/dinorpropoxyphene,
respectively.
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Timing of the samples should be, if the time of ingestion is known, postabsorptive after the peak concentration for acetaminophen. Refer to the Rumack nomogram (18). Because toxic ingestion of acetaminophen could produce delays in peak concentrations of up to 4 h, sampling should be performed 4 h postingestion if the ingestion time is known. If the ingestion time is unknown, collect the sample and perform the assay as soon as possible. Serial monitoring may be necessary to ensure that either the initial or the subsequent samples would have been collected at the postabsorptive phase (19). Although timing of salicylate concentrations after overdose was previously recommended in the postabsorptive phase or ~6 h postingestion, concentrations drawn on presentation and then every 24 h allow for a more proactive approach toward treatment.
The use of gel tubes for analgesics monitoring has not been systematically substantiated, and recently a major manufacturer advised against its use for drug monitoring in general. Furthermore, the use of gel tubes is contraindicated for basic drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants. Because tramadol is a basic drug with a tertiary amine group similar to those of tricyclic antidepressants, it would be advisable for the laboratory to establish the clinical efficacy of gel tubes for tramadol monitoring. A recent in vitro study showed that ibuprofen piconol hydrolysis to ibuprofen is highly dependent on tube anticoagulants, with hydrolysis half-lives ranging from 2.5 h without anticoagulant, 8 h with citrate, and 15.5 h with heparin, to 162 h with EDTA (20). This might imply that for a "hypothetical" patient medicated with (RS)-(/-)-ibuprofen piconol, with blood collection using EDTA shortly thereafter, the pro-drug (RS)-(/-)-ibuprofen piconol might still be detectable. This would require its differentiation from ibuprofen. It would be advisable for the laboratory to establish the clinical efficacy of various tube anticoagulants. Most of the analgesics are administered orally. If an analgesic is administered intravenously, venipuncture should be performed using the median cubital vein from the opposite arm.
Collected specimens such as serum/plasma and urine, when refrigerated, have been shown to be suitable for analysis for a length of time ranging from several hours to the usual storage time of up to 2 weeks. There are no systematic studies, such as those published for immunosuppressants, on the effects of long-term storage at room temperature on analgesic concentrations.
Apart from serum/plasma and urine, other samples, including saliva, synovial fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been used for monitoring acetaminophen, and saliva and synovial fluid for monitoring some NSAIDs. Salivary acetaminophen concentrations show linear pharmacokinetics for doses of 18 mg/kg of body weight (21). Acetaminophen serum and saliva concentrations were significantly correlated, but the agreement of limits and mean values were poor (22). For children with juvenile chronic arthritis or chronic liver disease, saliva provides meaningful pharmacokinetic data for acetaminophen (23). For routine TDM and toxicology, CSF is seldom appropriate for analgesic monitoring. However, a recent study shows that analgesia may be correlated with CSF acetaminophen concentrations (24). Propacetamol, a prodrug hydrolyzed to acetaminophen with t½ of 7 min, was administered intravenously to 43 patients with nerve-root compression pain. CSF drug concentrations peaked at 4 h compared ~2 h for plasma. Thereafter, CSF drug concentrations were higher than the plasma concentrations. The estimated t½ for plasma and CSF were 2.4 and 3.2 h, respectively.
Generally, circadian rhythm is not an issue for monitoring analgesics. However, a recent study showed that after a single AM 1.5-g dose of acetaminophen, the urine contained twice the amount of acetaminophen glucuronide than that collected after a single PM dose (25)(26). This temporal variation may be caused by a decreased absorption rate of acetaminophen. Circadian rhythms may have clinical implications in the use of aspirin and other NSAIDs. Diurnal variations of (S)-()-naproxen after oral administration of a PM dose of 500 mg of (S)-()-naproxen to 12 healthy males showed delayed peak serum concentrations compared with the same AM dose (27). This may necessitate dosage adjustment for arthritic patients. Ingestion of aspirin at different times of the day led to significantly different peak salicylate concentrations and half-lives in healthy volunteers (28). Circadian variations in peak plasma concentrations of indomethacin (29) and ketoprofen (30) have been noted and may impact the tolerance to and analgesic effectiveness of indomethacin (31).
When used as an adjunct in management of the acutely poisoned patient, the reliability of a single analgesic measurement is poor. Utilization of a single drug concentration is especially problematic in overdoses involving sustained-release or enteric-coated products. Serial monitoring is suggested to ascertain adequate drug elimination and to rule out ongoing drug absorption. Formerly, half-life calculations in acute acetaminophen overdose settings were felt to be predictive of toxicity and were used when the exact time of ingestion was unknown (1). More recent data suggests, however, that a prolonged acetaminophen half-life does not reliably correlate with hepatic or renal toxicity (32). The utility of a single drug concentration in patients therapeutically taking acetaminophen or salicylates is such that the physician could consider changing dosing on the basis of a single (increased) concentration.
| Analytical Issues |
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The currently used colorimetric assays and immunoassays for acetaminophen and salicylate have provided satisfactory performance according to the survey results of the College of American Pathologists. Diflunisal, because of its structural similarity to salicylate, cross-reacts in colorimetric assays and immunoassays (33). Percentages for the automated clinical analyzer colorimetric and the fluorescence polarization immunoassay are 61% and 230%, respectively. Other colorimetric tests would probably show similar interferences. Thus, in a recent study of two patients co-medicated with diflunisal and aspirin for rheumatoid arthritis, erroneous toxic concentrations were caused by diflunisal interference in the nonspecific salicylate assays (34). The authors suggested that these assays should not be used and that HPLC should be used to differentiate salicylate toxicity. Diflunisal interference with salicylate may be detected and can be avoided ideally by drug information included in the test order form, and/or by checking the patient's medication records.
Generally, HPLC and GC offer quantitation of parent drugs and
metabolites. The procedures usually require sample preparation either
by protein precipitation or by extraction. Gas chromatographymass
spectrometry (GC-MS) may be readily used for screening and
quantification of newer analgesics such as tramadol and metabolites.
Chromatographic assays for acetaminophen and salicylate are well
established, but they are seldom used except for reference purposes.
However, for the other analgesics, chromatographic assays offer
clinically efficacious screening and/or quantitation. With the advent
of novel column technology, such as the restricted access media and
chiral stationary phases; automated HPLC such as REMEDi, ASPEC/ASTED,
Prep-Station(TM), and others; automation such as Prep-Station for GC and
GC-MS; and the availability of chemometrics for controlling
instrumentation and data processing, both achiral and chiral analgesic
analyses may be readily performed (35)(36).
These would enhance the monitoring of newly introduced analgesics. For
example, an HPLC assay for ibuprofen and its major metabolites in urine
involved acidification and hexane-propanol extraction, followed by
back-extraction by sodium bicarbonate and neutralization
(37). Analysis was performed by an initial isocratic mode,
followed by an abrupt gradient. The detection limit for ibuprofen was
~2.5 mg/L in 100 mL of urine. Using GC-MS, the hydroxy- and
carboxy-metabolites of ibuprofen, as well as the parent drug, may be
detected for up to several days after a single 400-mg oral dose
(38). (S)-()-naproxen,
(S)-()-6-O-desmethylnaproxen, and five
conjugates were determined using HPLC with a silica column and
cetyltrimethylammonium ions in the mobile phase (39).
Recently, direct sample analysis using novel column technologies such
as restricted access media have obviated the need for sample
preparation (36). Ibuprofen and (S)-()-naproxen
in plasma were analyzed by direct injection into a restricted access
mediuma column bonded with
1-acid glycoproteinwhich
is a biocompatible external surface with the internal surface of the
pores bonded with C8 or C18 for hydrophobic
interactions (40). System pressure did not increase even
after several hundred plasma samples were analyzed. Linear calibration
was established.
Icteric samples, with increased bilirubin concentrations of 50200 mg/L (520 mg/dL) showed a decrease of 1050 mg/L of salicylate in some colorimetric assays. In this setting, other useful specimens such as saliva and synovial fluids for arthritic patients may be tested. These concentrations may correlate with the plasma free drug concentrations, thus serving as a useful guide to correlate with responses.
Free drugs are monitored using ultrafiltration or equilibrium dialysis
of serum. CSF and synovial fluid have been used in some research
studies. For the analysis of free drugs in synovial fluid or saliva,
various methodologies have been published in the literature. When
equilibrium dialysis was used, protein binding of free
(S)-()-naproxen in plasma was independent of pH
(41)(42). When equilibrium dialysis was used in
combination with HPLC, the coefficient of variation of this method was
7.4%. (S)-()-naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac in plasma
and synovial fluids were determined by HPLC for osteo-rheumatoid
arthritis patients (43). Salicylic acid in saliva was
determined by solid-phase extraction, followed by HPLCfluorescence
detection (44). For children with juvenile chronic
arthritis, a noninvasive method of monitoring saliva salicylic acid was
achieved by HPLC (45). Chiral analysis for
(S)-()-naproxen and
(S)-()-6-O-desmethylnaproxen in biological
fluids was achieved using an
1-acid glycoprotein column
(46). More recently, a molecularly imprinted polymeric HPLC
column was used for the chiral analysis of
(RS)-(/-)-naproxen (47).
| Practice Issues |
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Acetaminophen.
Although chronic ethanol abuse
increases hepatotoxicity in those who ingest acetaminophen,
(48)(49)(50)(51)(52) acute ethanol co-ingestion is hepatoprotective
(53)(54)(55)(56). Diflunisal increases acetaminophen concentrations
(57). Acetaminophen increases the hypoprothrombinemic effect
of anticoagulants (58), and concomitant administration of
isoniazid has produced hepatotoxicity (59)(60)(61). Chronic use
of anticonvulsants (phenytoin, carbamazepine, or phenobarbital) may
predispose patients to hepatotoxicity, given the ability of these drugs
to induce P450 2E1. In a study using saliva, halothane decreased the
t1/2 of acetaminophen from 2.1 to
0.96 h and increased the clearance rate from 8.7 to 17
mL · min · kg (62). Thus, halothane may enhance the
hepatic metabolism of acetaminophen. Metyrapone increases the
t1/2 of acetaminophen, prevents
glucuronidation of acetaminophen, and may increase oxidation to the
toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinonimine
(NAPQI) (63). Inhibitors of CYP P450-mediated oxidation,
such as cimetidine, have not been effective antidotes after
acetaminophen overdoses in humans.
Salicylates.
The following section is modified from Dromgoole
and Furst (64). Antacids decrease the absorption of and
enhance renal clearance of salicylates. Acetaminophen, metoprolol, and
caffeine increase salicylate concentrations. Salicylates decrease
acetazolamide secretion; potentiate the hypoprothrombinemic effects
of anticoagulants; increase plasma concentrations of cyclic
antidepressants; enhance the hypoglycemic effect of
chlorpropamide/tolbutamide; decrease the antihypertensive effect of
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and B-adrenergic
blockers; increase or prolong methotrexate concentrations and
half-life, leading to methotrexate toxicity; and may increase the area
under the curve of numerous other NSAIDs. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
increase the penetration of salicylates into the central nervous system
(CNS); corticosteroids increase the renal clearance of salicylates; and
indomethacin causes blockade of the irreversible acetylation of
platelets by aspirin. (S)-()-naproxen, instead of high
doses of aspirin, is suggested for patients treated with valproic acid.
Patients taking high-dose aspirin therapy should be carefully monitored
when corticosteroids are coadministered.
Ibuprofen and naproxen.
Concomitant use of these NSAIDs with
tacrolimus or triamterene may increase the risk of acute renal tubular
necrosis (65)(66), produce a loss of blood
pressure control from antihypertensive agents (67) through
decreased diuresis and natriuresis, increase digoxin and lithium
concentrations (68)(69), increase perioperative
bleeding (70), and enhance methotrexate-mediated
myelosuppression and gastrointestinal toxicity (71).
Co-medication of NSAIDs with anticoagulants should be avoided.
Probenecid may induce naproxen toxicity by interfering with its
elimination (72). Monitoring of the patient's clinical
response and for drug toxicity would also be recommended when NSAIDs
are used in combination with phenytoin, oral hypoglycemic agents, or
aminoglycosides. For treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, cyclosporine A
and a NSAID such as (S)-()-naproxen together would produce
greater renal impairment than the individual agents, possibly due in
part to renal vasoconstriction (73). Monitoring of plasma
NSAIDs and whole blood cyclosporine A, along with other renal function
testing, such as the glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma
flow, and serum creatinine, may be useful. Cimetidine, ranitidine, and
famotidine decrease both t½ ß and
of
(S)-()-naproxen (74)(75)(76)(77). Cimetidine decreased
(S)-()-naproxen t½ by 3960%
(74). Thus, NSAIDs and antacids or cholestyramine should be
given at different times.
Propoxyphene.
Concomitant use of propoxyphene with other CNS
depressants or cardiovascular agents may produce enhanced CNS or
respiratory depression or cardiac arrhythmias. Ethanol
coadministration, for example, is a major cause of drug-related death
(78)(79). Significant increases in carbamazepine
concentrations have been noted and have produced moderate-to-severe
neurotoxicity (80)(81)(82)(83). The use of warfarin with
propoxyphene/acetaminophen combinations may enhance its
hypopro-thrombinemic effect (84)(85).
Toxic metabolite accumulation (norpropoxyphene) may occur when
nephrotoxic drugs are coadministered.
Meperidine.
The coadministration of other centrally acting
drugs, such as tricyclic antidepressants or phenothiazines, may cause
exaggerated sedation or respiratory depression. Drugs that produce
increased serotonin neurotransmission, such as serotonin
re-uptake inhibitors, monamine oxidase inhibitors, or tramadol,
if administered concurrently, may produce a life-threatening
"serotonin syndrome," composed of altered cognition, neuromuscular
activity, and autonomic function (86). Cimetidine may
decrease the clearance of meperidine by up to 22% (87).
turnaround time
Another critical area facing the laboratory scientist is
turnaround time. Stat turnaround (
1 h) is required for acetaminophen
concentration reporting. Non-stat concentrations are not appropriate,
given the urgent need for antidote (N-acetylcysteine)
administration in settings of both acute and chronic toxicity. With
regard to salicylate concentrations, 1-h (stat) concentration reporting
is recommended, given the potential urgency to begin treatment
(alkalinization of the blood and urine or hemodialysis) in scenarios of
both acute and chronic toxicity. Stat ibuprofen concentrations would
potentially allow more rapid triage of the patient who has overdosed
into a "low-risk for toxicity" category and hence allow for
possible earlier discharge after acute overdose, but such
concentrations are generally not available and have not been widely
used or tested (88). Meperidine/normeperidine concentrations
would ideally be available on a stat basis, because hemodialysis could
be considered in patients with impaired renal function and signs of
severe neurotoxicity from this agent.
frequency
Very little data exist on which to base recommendations for
frequency of monitoring of acetaminophen or salicylate concentrations
during therapeutic use. Routine monitoring has been used for patients
requiring high-dose salicylate or diflunisal therapy for rhematologic
diseases. In fact, nomograms, albeit rarely used, have been developed
for therapeutic salicylate monitoring (89). Recent trends in
lower dosing of salicylates, based on the observation that an average
aspirin dose of only 2.665 g/day has an excellent safety profile, and
is cost-effective (90) may obviate the need for routine
monitoring of this agent. High-dose therapy may be replaced by new
therapeutic dosing schedules based on symptomatic and disease-modifying
antirheumatic drug therapy, rather than the previously established
"antiinflammatory" doses. If changes are made to the regimen of
patients on chronic salicylate therapy, it should be noted that a new
steady-state is reached more than 1 week after the dosing change. Other
useful monitoring parameters in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
include the number of tender or swollen joints, visual analog scales,
acute-phase reactants (erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive
protein), duration of early morning stiffness, activity of daily
living, and pain during movement and at rest (91).
Concentrations of other NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, are not
monitored during routine therapy. Instead, clinical parameters in the
patient with arthritis may be monitored, as noted above for salicylates
(92).
The frequency with which analgesic drug concentrations should be monitored in hospitalized or emergency department patients is delineated in the following discussion. After acute acetaminophen overdose, one stat concentration is to be obtained at 4 h after ingestion, if the exact time of ingestion in known. This allows for hepatotoxicity risk categorization via a Rumack nomogram plot (18). This initial concentration is followed by one additional concentration every 2 h until a peak occurs if co-ingestants that would impair absorption or decrease gut motility are present (i.e., opioids or anticholinergic medications). Very little data is available with regard to the laboratory diagnosis and management of sustained-release acetaminophen (Tylenol ER) overdose. Currently, the manufacturer recommends that concentrations be obtained at both 4 and 8 h after an acute ingestion (93). Both concentrations are plotted on the Rumack nomogram (18). If either concentration falls above the lower line, antidote therapy is warranted. Obtaining one additional concentration at the completion of antidote therapy to assure concentrations are nondetectable before stopping N-acetylcysteine administration may be considered, given the unknown but theoretical ability of this formulation to form bezoars or concretions.
The frequency of monitoring salicylate concentrations in hospitalized patients is as follows: a concentration should be obtained initially and then every 2 h after an acute overdose until a peak occurs, then every 46 h thereafter until concentrations are <200 mg/L (assuming unaffected acid-base and mental status).
Monitoring ibuprofen or naproxen concentrations after an overdose is generally not indicated. A nomogram purported to predict toxicity from ibuprofen has been developed (88), but because concentrations are not readily available, this nomogram has not gained widespread popularity. No data with regard to naproxen concentrations in overdose exist.
ancillary clinical and laboratory monitoring
Ancillary clinical and laboratory monitoring is essential after
acute overdose or suspected chronic toxicity from analgesic drugs.
After acute or chronic acetaminophen overexposure, transaminases,
creatinine, coagulation studies, bilirubin, and acid-base status are
monitored closely. The mental status is monitored for onset of
encephalopathy, which heralds a poor prognosis. Other signs of
irreversible hepatotoxicity include a bilirubin concentration >40 mg/L
(4 mg/dL), a creatinine concentration >33 mg/L (3.3 mg/dL), arterial
pH <7.3, increased factor VIII to V concentrations, or a prothrombin
time >1.8 x baseline (94)(95)(96). With chronic
therapeutic use, renal function and liver function testing may be
necessary on a periodic but as yet undefined basis.
After an overdose or chronic overuse of salicylates, liver function, renal function, acid-base status, coagulation function, calcium, glucose, and electrolytes are monitored closely. Mental status and pulmonary status are also monitored, because aberrations would probably warrant hemodialysis. With chronic use, the onset of tinnitus or hearing loss is an unreliable marker of toxicity (97). Symptoms of salicylism, which occur during chronic use (headache, confusion, tinnitus or hearing loss, nausea, vomiting, hyperpnea, or fever) warrant immediate plasma concentration, electrolyte, arterial blood gas, and renal function determinations. Otherwise, guidelines for the frequency of plasma concentration monitoring during chronic therapy have not been clearly established. Compliance with antiplatelet therapy may also be monitored with periodic platelet aggregation studies (98).
After acute ingestion of >3 g of ibuprofen, renal function should be checked at baseline and repeated within 12 weeks (88). For any symptomatic patient who has acutely overdosed on ibuprofen, arterial blood gas analysis should be considered, along with a baseline hemogram and renal function tests (regardless of the dose ingested). Although some some studies suggest that NSAIDs have a good safety profile (99), ancillary monitoring at the initiation of ongoing therapy with ibuprofen or naproxen in healthy patients could be considered and includes an initial hemogram and fecal occult blood test within 3 months of starting the NSAID, then every 612 month thereafter. Patients at high risk for gastrointestinal bleeding should have the above performed within 1 month and every 36 months thereafter. Healthy patients should have an initial sodium, potassium, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and urinalysis within 3 months of initiating NSAID treatment, then every 612 months. For patients at high risk for nephrotoxicity, the same tests are recommended, but they should be repeated within 13 weeks of the initiation of therapy and then every 36 months thereafter. In healthy patients, an initial alanine aminotransferase analysis within 3 months of starting therapy is recommended and then every 612 months thereafter. Patients at high risk for hepatotoxicity should have alanine aminotransferase analysis within 1 month of therapy initiation and then every 36 months thereafter (100).
For patients acutely or chronically abusing propoxyphene, both acetaminophen and salicylate concentrations should also be performed, because many formulations include these drugs. (See Salicylates and Acetaminophen above.) The patient on repeated doses of meperidine, particularly if orally administered, must be monitored closely for the onset of tremors, myoclonic jerking, or seizures indicative of normeperidine accumulation. Such accumulation occurs in the presence of renal dysfunction or in the settings of other medical conditions, such as malignancy or sickle cell anemia (101).
| Reporting Issues |
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When critical (high) values for acetaminophen, salicylates, meperidine, propoxyphene, or norpropoxyphene are obtained by the laboratory in hospitalized patients or outpatients, the results should be called immediately to the treating physician. Results that indicate drug concentrations below the therapeutic range do not require special notification but may suggest noncompliance. Critical concentrations for acetaminophen are dependent on the time because ingestion, (see the Rumack nomogram) (18) and are dependent on the factors discussed above. Critical concentrations for salicylates are dependent on the chronicity of use. After acute salicylate overdose, volume status, arterial blood pH, time after ingestion, formulation ingested, estimated completeness of absorption, and potential effects of co-ingestants on gut motility are taken into consideration. These factors markedly limit the utility of the Done Nomogram (102), which has been purported to predict toxicity after a single acute ingestion of salicylates in patients with unaffected renal function, volume, acid-base status, and without co-ingestants. This tool has more recently been reported to have poor predictive value (19). Furthermore, the Done Nomogram should not be used to estimate toxicity associated with chronic overuse or for patients who have ingested liquid or enteric-coated forms of salicylate. Critical concentrations for ibuprofen are dependent on time after ingestion, and the Hall Nomogram (88) has been developed to predict toxicity in the overdose setting. This nomogram is of limited utility, however, because ibuprofen concentrations are generally not available within the relevant initial 4-h period after ingestion. Data regarding critical concentrations with outpatient therapeutic use of ibuprofen or naproxen are not available. Critical concentrations for opioids such as propoxyphene and normeperidine are not well defined, given the limited data availability in this area and the wide variation in tolerance to such medications. In general, patients ingesting high doses of propoxyphene demonstrated toxic effects at serum concentrations >1 mg/L (or 3 µmol/L) (103). Meperidine toxicity is reported with serum concentrations in the range of 1030 mg/L. Normeperidine CNS toxicity is reported with serum concentrations in the range of 450800 µg/L (104).
If the sample was collected before peak concentration, as shown by
Table 1
or the nomograms, request another sample collection at the
postabsorptive phase. Perform serial monitoring to ascertain adequate
drug elimination.
Subtherapeutic values should be considered as a potential indication of patient noncompliance. Subtherapeutic values may also be the result of inappropriate early sample collection, drug interaction from induction by another drug metabolized by similar enzymes, and for salicylate, icteric samples.
Interpretive comments by the laboratory may be of use to clinicians. For example, it should be indicated that "normal" ranges do not apply in acetaminophen overdose or chronic overuse settings. Similarly, toxicity from salicylates may be present at reference values or below reference values with chronic use situations or in patients with altered volume or acid-base status. A reminder to the clinician interpreting opioid concentrations could point out that tolerance develops with chronic use. Finally, in the overdose or chronic overuse setting, a laboratory comment might point out that poor reliability is given to a single acetaminophen or salicylate concentration.
The length of time that medical information from a collected specimen remains relevant varies among analgesics. Toxicity from acetaminophen would be expected to peak within 72 h of acute ingestion, and information beyond that time frame would rarely be useful. It should be noted that stat, i.e., <1 h, turnaround times for acetaminophen are essential because the antidote, N-acetylcysteine, is universally effective if administered within 8 h of acute ingestion. With regard to ibuprofen overdose, all patients who become acutely ill do so within 4 h of ingestion, and estimation as to whether substantial toxicity is likely to occur will be made within that time frame. Because ibuprofen concentrations are rarely available on a stat basis, however, this markedly limits their clinical utility in the overdose setting.
| Other Issues Relating to Special Populations, Free Drug Concentrations, and Dosing |
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considerations in alcoholics
Alcoholics ingesting "upper" therapeutic doses (2.54 g) of
acetaminophen may sustain hepatic necrosis. This may occur, in part,
because of the induction of hepatic P450 CYP2E1 by ethanol, thus
increasing the formation of the toxic metabolite NAPQI. Glutathione
stores in the liver and other susceptible tissues may be diminished in
alcoholic patients, rendering them more susceptible to the oxidant
effect of NAPQI (108).
dosing issues
Although dosing for acetaminophen and salicylates (16)
should be based on ideal body weight, dosing for ibuprofen should be
based on actual or total body weight (109). In geriatric
patients, the free fraction of diflunisal, (S)-()-naproxen,
and salicylate may increase by >50% (110). Age, gender,
and obesity impact salicylate pharmacokinetics, such that clearance of
the free fraction of salicylate is lowered in elderly females;
accumulation occurs, and lower dosages are necessary (111).
In a limited study of geriatric patients treated with 500 mg of
naproxen twice daily, higher mean predose concentrations, areas under
the curve, and reduced clearance were noted (112). Although
protein binding (99.8%), is about the same as for the younger group,
the free concentration was significantly higher. In the absence of
excessive side effects, a lower starting dose was recommended.
free drug concentrations
Because salicylate dose is increased or as concentrations rise
above 400 mg/L (400 µg/mL), disproportionate increases in the
concentration of unbound drug are seen, and the bound fraction
decreases to 76% (113)(114)(115). Although it has been suggested
that free salicylate concentrations may correlate better with
therapeutic effect, (116) the therapeutic range of unbound
salicylate has not been established. Calculations may be used to
correct total concentrations of the highly protein-bound salicylates in
patients who are known to be hypoalbuminemic (117). The
following formula has been used:
Cptrue = Cp/[(1-
)(p/pn)
]
where:
is the usual free fraction (0.16);
p is the patient's albumin concentration;
pn is the reference interval albumin (4.4); and
Cp is the patient's plasma drug concentration.
| Future Directions |
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For 237 patients with osteoarthritis treated with (S)-()-naproxen, the free concentrations were not correlated to clinical efficacy and adverse effects (41)(42). Female free concentrations were higher than those of male. Also for females, the unbound fraction was higher in older females. Furthermore, the (S)-enantiomers of NSAIDs may account for the most of the antiinflammatory effect, and the binding of the (S)-enantiomer with proteins such as albumin may also differ from that of the other enantiomer. Thus, the antiinflammatory effect of NSAIDs may correlate better with the free fraction of the (S)-enantiomer in synovial fluidthe site of action (129).
new analgesic
Tramadol is an atypical, binary analgesic possessing both opioid
and nonopioid characteristics (130). It binds to the mu
receptors for opioids and blocks norepinephrine and serotonin
re-uptake. Tramadol is metabolized in the liver by CYP2D6 to a major
metabolite, mono-O-desmethyl metabolite (M1), and other
N-demethylated metabolites and undergoes additional glucuronidation and
sulfation. Tramadol concentrations in renal patients may be increased
because of impaired renal excretion. Inducers of CYP2D6, such as
carbamazepine and rifampin, lower the elimination
t½ of tramadol. After absorption, enantiomers
of both tramadol and M1 have parallel time courses. M1 binds more
strongly than tramadol to the opioid receptors and accounts for more of
the analgesic activity. Animal studies showed that M1, as an analgesic,
is ~6 x more active than its parent drug, tramadol.
(/-)-Tramadol and its major metabolite, M1, are racemates. However,
there is a <10% difference in the enantiomeric concentrations.
Currently, there is a lack of data showing the correlation of plasma
concentration of tramadol with analgesic response. Thus, tramadol
monitoring awaits further study.
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Future areas of importance include the potential clinical application of chiral pharmacology and definition of the need for monitoring of newer analgesics such as tramadol.
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