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B J Williamson

Publications and source records attributed to B J Williamson.

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Disposition kinetics of quinidine.

The disposition kinetics of quinidine in 12 hospitalized patients in whom oral quinidine therapy was to be initiated is described. Quinidine in doses of 2.6 to 5.2 mg/kg base were infused intravenously over 22 min. Plasma samples were collected during the postinfusion for 24 hr and analyzed by a specific and sensitive assay procedure. In the 12 hr after administration, postinfusion plasma quinidine concentration decay was described by a biexponential equation. Attempts to include the 24-hr data point in the fitting procedures resulted in poorer agreements between the theoretical and experimental curves. A 2-compartment open model is proposed to describe the disposition of quinidine. The volume of the central pool (Vc) and steady-state volume of distribution (Vdss) were 0.91 +/- 0.11 L/kg and 3.03 +/- 0.25 L/kg, respectively, and indicate that quinidine distribution is predominantly extravascular. Quinidine distribution was quite rapid (t1/2alpha = 7.19 +/- 0.70 min), while the apparent elimination half-life (t1/2beta) was considerably longer, 6.333 +/- 0.47 hr. Total body plasma clearance ranged from 1.49 to 7.15 ml/min/kg (mean 4.70) and is primarily associated with nonrenal mechanisms of drug elimination. Urine specimens collected for 48 hr indicated that 17% of the dose is excreted intact and that urinary excretion was essentially complete within 24 hr. Renal clearance (Clr) was 0.80 +/- 0.18 ml/min/kg. The study demonstrated that there is substantial interpatient variability with respect to quinidine disposition.

Adult

Absolute quinidine bioavailability.

The absolute bioavailability of quinidine was studied in 11 hospitalized patients. A 400-mg dose of quinidine gluconate was administered to each patient by intravenous infusion and as an oral solution. Drug treatments were separated by a 72-hr period. In 8 patients, peak plasma quinidine concentrations were reached in 65 min after the oral dose; in the remaining 3 subjects, peak concentrations were reached later. From the ratio of the total area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUCoral/AUCir), the absolute bioavailability of quinidine ranged from 44% to 89% (mean, 72). In 8 patients, the ratio of the total amount of quinidine excreted in the urine in 48 hr (AUinfinity oral/AUinfinity ir) indicated that the extent of quinidine bioavailability varied form 47% to 96% (mean, 73). The predicted bioavailability of quindine due to first-pass effects was 76+/-11%. It is concluded that absorption after the oral solution was rapid and that the reduction of quinidine bioavailability was due to first-pass hepatic drug removal.

Administration, Oral

Disposition kinetics of dihydroquinidine following quinidine administration.

The disposition kinetics of dihydroquinidine, a known impurity in drug grade quinidine, was studied in 7 patients who were hospitalized for control of cardiac arrhythmias. Quinidine gluconate injection containing 5.4 to 6.2 percent dihydroquinidine was used. Following an overnite fast, dihydroquinidine doses of 0.16 to 0.31 mg/kg base were infused intravenously over 22 min. Plasma samples were collected at various times for 12 hr and analyzed for dihydroquinidine by a thin layer chromatography-fluorometric assay procedure. Postinfusion plasma dihydroquinidine concentration decline was described by a biexponential equation which suggested that the impurity distributes within the body in two kinetically distinguishable pools. The volume of the central pool (Vc) and steady-state volume of distribution (Vdss) were 0.67 +/- 0.15 L/kg and 2.76 +/- 0.63 L/kg, respectively. The halflife of the fast (t1/2alpha) and slow (t1/2beta) disposition processes were 4.71 +/- 0.26 min and 5.71 +/- 1.00 hr. Total plasma clearance was 4.17 +/- 0.68 ml/min/kg. Renal excretion of intact dihydroquinidine accounted for 16 percent of the administered dose. The corresponding value for renal dihydroquinidine clearance (Clr) was 0.61 +/- 0.08 ml/min/kg. The results of this study indicated that there were no significant differences in the distribution and elimination characteristics of dihydroquinidine and quinidine.

Adult