Pediatric drugs pharmacokinetics Pharmacokinetics corresponds to the branch of pharmacology that studies the absorption, distribution, biotransformation and excretion of drugs in the body, in order to proportionate a reference line for interpretation of drug concentration in biological fluids, fundamental for clinical therapy. While adult pharmacology has increase greatly, advances in pediatric pharmacology have been poor. Therefore, drug prescription in children is essentially empirical on the basis of an inmature organism. An effective, secure and rational pediatric pharmacology requires exhaustive knowledgement of the developmental changes in relation to absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion affecting pharmacokinetics parameters; therefore, the effective dose. This review describes fundamental differences between adult and pediatric pharmacokinetics. These differences must be considered when therapeutic strategies develop for newborns and children.

Relative bioavailability study of two oral formulations of mycophenolate mofetil in healthy volunteers Background: The bioequivalence of different formulations of a same pharmaceutical product must be tested empirically. Aim: To evaluate the relative bioavailability for an oral formulation of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (Linfonex TM) compared to the reference formulation (Cellcept TM) to determine the bioequivalence between both formulations. Material and Methods: A randomized, crossover, double-blind trial in 22 healthy male volunteers, who received a single oral dose of 1000 mg of Linfonex and Cellcept with a washout period of 10 days. Plasma levels of the drug were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Plasma concentrations were plotted and maximum concentration, area under the plasma concentration versus time between 0 and 12 hours after administration and area under plasma concentration curve versus time after administration between 0 and infi nity, were calculated for both products. Results: The active compound, mycophenolic acid, was similarly absorbed in both formulations. No statistically signifi cant differences were found in calculated pharmacokinetic parameters between both formulations. Conclusions: Linfonex TM 500 mg is bioequivalent to Cellcept TM 500 mg.

No abstract

Pulmonary function and quality of life in children and adolescents with bronchiolitis obliterans post-adenoviral infection Introduction: Adenovirus infection is an important cause of pneumonia in Chilean children. Postinfectious Bronchiolitis Obliterans (PIBO) is the most important complication. There are few studies assessing pulmonary function and quality of life in PIBO patients. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the pulmonary function and the quality of life of patients with PIBO and the correlation between both variables. Methods: 14 children with PIBO in follow up at the pediatric pulmonology outpatient clinic of a public children hospital were included in this study. Study period: April 2009-April 2010. Pulmonary function was assessed in a medical visit by spirometry, fl ow/volume curve and intrathoracic gas volume measurement. The following indices were analyzed FVC, FEV 1 , FEF 25-75 , FEV 1 /FVC, RV, TLC, RV and RV/TLC. A survey of a self-administered Quality of Life (PedsQL, version 4.0, Spanish for Chile) was applied at the visit to investigate their global, physical and psychosocial quality of life. The Pearson linear correlation between quality of life and the pulmonary function test parameters was assessed, in the statistical analysis a p value < 0.05 was considered signifi cant. Results: The mean age of our patients was 12.4 (range: 9-19 years-old). The functional alterations were characteristics of an obstructive respiratory disorder in 64.3% of the patients. Average pulmonary function test indices showed decreases in