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The pharmacokinetic profile of antibiotics used in critically ill patients during continuous haemofiltration is different both from healthy people and from stable patients on long-term dialysis. This article reviews the patient-related, drug-related and haemofiltration-related variables influencing drug elimination in this group of patients, and provides specific recommendations for antibiotic dosing for different classes of antibiotics. Loading doses do not need to be altered. Subsequent dose adjustment should be based on the estimated ultrafiltration capacity of the renal replacement technique and the degree of extracorporeal clearance. A table of recommended doses is provided.

The following essay explores the decision to terminate a federally funded program, Drug Elimination Program (DEP), in public housing developments. This case study of one public house development incorporates qualitative and quantitative data derived from a program evaluation performed in year 2000. A feminist framework directs this research with findings suggesting that the DEP efforts had substantially decreased drug activity and crime in this research setting.

The consensus of current international guidelines for the treatment of HIV infection is that data on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors provide a framework for the implementation of TDM in certain defined scenarios in clinical practice. However, the utility of TDM is considered to be on an individual basis until more data are obtained from large clinical trials showing the benefit of TDM.In April 2004, a panel of experts met in Rome, Italy. This followed an inaugural meeting in Perugia, Italy, in October 2000, which resulted in the article published in AIDS 2002, 16(Suppl 1):S5–S37. The objectives of this second meeting were to review the questions surrounding TDM of antiretroviral drugs and discuss the clinical utility, current concerns and future prospects of drug concentration monitoring in the care of HIV-1-infected individuals.This report, which has been updated to include material published or presented at international conferences up to the end of September 2004, reviews pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data and reports the issues discussed by the panel, offering advice to clinical care providers who may be currently, or are considering incorporating TDM into the routine care of their patients. In addition, the panel formulated a series of position statements that are relevant to the interpretation of current data and can aid the design of future clinical trials.Part 2 of this Special article, Therapeutic drug monitoring and drug–drug interactions involving antiretroviral drugs, will be published in Antiviral Therapy 10(4).

Transdermal scopolamine patches have been extensively prescribed for nonspecific dizziness and vestibular disorders. Patient response may be favorable and side effects are generally limited to xerostomia and blurred vision. However, subtle dependency and outright addiction may develop. Tapered reduction and drug elimination will suffice to eliminate the dependency. However, hospitalization may be necessary to treat severe cases of physiological chemical dependency. Long-term use of transdermal scopolamine patches carries a risk of chemical dependency. Prescribing physicians should review and heed the manufacturer's recommended use.

Crime and disorder have been prevalent in public housing developments since the 1960s. Various attempts, ranging from physical design modifications to intensive law enforcement strategies, have been made to combat these problems. The Chicago Housing Authority's Public Housing Drug Elimination Program (PHDEP), an extensive anticrime initiative, involves sweeping buildings for drugs and weapons, improving security, removing unauthorized tenants, responding to residents' needs for services and maintenance, and implementing drug prevention and intervention programs. This study surveyed respondents' perceptions of PHDEP's effects on drugs and crime in two housing developments chosen for their preexisting differences in crime rates and population stability. Overall, respondents in the better organized development reported more favorable perceptions of PHDEP's impact. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and public policy.

The author has developed a program for the Hewlett Packard HP 41C calculator that is used in the analysis of aminoglycoside serum levels for the purpose of generating a personalized dosage regimen. Although other programs have been published, until now none has made adjustments in the half-life of drug elimination due to the tissue accumulation that occurs in the initial phases of dosing. Many of these same programs fail to locate the true peak and trough serum levels, which are essential in the calculation of the volume of distribution of the aminoglycosides. This article is not meant as a method of initial dosing, but rather assumes that the physician has chosen one of the readily usable methods of dosing, such as various nomograms. Patient data taken from published studies were used in generating individual patient parameters. These parameters were compared to those calculated in the studies for means of comparison. While correlation in all parameters was not ideal, the correlation of dose and dosing interval was exact and correlation of predicted peaks and troughs with the given regimen of dosing was excellent.

Renal failure delays elimination of many drugs thus prolonging their half lives. By knowing the half life and distribution volume, one can estimate total plasma clearance. When measured values have not been reported, endogenous total plasma clearance can be estimated and compared with peritoneal clearance to determine the effect of CAPD on half life. When peritoneal clearance has not been reported, it can be estimated knowing molecular mass and unbound plasma fraction. Such estimates suggest that elimination kinetics of most drugs are not appreciably affected by CAPD. Compared to those of untreated anuric patients, plasma levels of carbenicillin, ticarcillin, some cephalosporins, all aminoglycosides, vancomycin, sfluorocytosine, amantadine, atenolol, sotalol, timolol, chlorpropamide, theophylline and lithium may be reduced somewhat by CAPD. Thus one should monitor plasma levels of these agents to insure therapeutic concentrations rather than simply following the dosage guidelines for anuric patient.

Three major areas are emphasized for a study of drug excretion in breast milk: maternal drug disposition, breast milk pharmacokinetics and neonatal drug elimination. The first two impact on drug dose to infant whereas the last area is crucial to drug accumulation in the infant. Pitfalls in assessment of the drug concentration in milk to plasma (M/P) ratio are illustrated to expose errors in drug dose in milk estimates. Predictions about drug dose in milk must be confirmed by sampling of both milk and infant plasma for drug concentration. Principles for drug excretion in breast milk can be used as guidelines for excretion of a growing number of toxic agents.