Comparison of Drug Elimination by Current Methods of Blood Purification

Abstract

Drug elimination by extracorporeal methods (hemodialysis, hemoperfusion, hemofiltration, plasmapheresis) was investigated in an ex vivo model using banked blood. The drugs (cefotaxime, glibenclamide, isoxepac, metamizole, nomifensine, penbutolol, procainamide) showed a consistent behavior in two different concentrations. Hemodialysis showed a clear correlation between speed of elimination and size of molecules and solubility in water; plasmapheresis yielded a predictably homogeneous speed of removal with the exception of penbutolol (slow). Hemofiltration and hemoperfusion do not allow consistent prediction of results.