Clinical Microsampling Group

Led by Dr Suzanne Parker, the Clinical Microsampling Group (CMG) aims to replace traditional, highly invasive blood-taking techniques with an innovative microsampling approach that enables measuring drug concentrations in a drop of blood.

Studies which characterise drug concentrations in children are lacking and, consequently, clinicians do not know which doses should be used in these patients. In part, the lack of pharmacokinetic studies is due to the onerous blood sampling required: frequent sampling (5-8 times) of up to 5mL per sample. However, there are psychological and physiological burdens and risks associated with taking blood from babies, infants and children. Blood sampling is highly concerning to these vulnerable patients and their parents; it is frequently a factor of discussion for research ethics committees when considering whether a research project is acceptable. Recent advances in the sensitivity of the instruments that measure drugs now provide the opportunity to reduce blood sampling volumes.

The research undertaken by the CMG for a new approach to sampling can be applied to strategic PK studies to establish evidence-based, effective drug dosing regimens. For the babies, infants and children treated with our novel dosing regimens, they will have an easier fight and a better chance at getting home, where they belong.

This research is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the staff at Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH) and UQ CRE RESPOND.

Leading this team are the Chief Investigators: Dr Suzanne Parker, Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the CRE RESPOND and Dr Tavey Dorofaeff, Paediatric Intensivist, QCH, and Investigators Professor Jeffrey Lipman and Professor Jason Roberts.

The group is very grateful to the NHMRC, the Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation, and the Ian Potter Foundation who funded our microsampling robotic tool.

For further details see Pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials in critically ill paediatric patients.

Publications

1. Tsai, Danny, Zam, Betty B, Tongs, Carleigh, Chiong, Fabian, Sajiv, Cherian, Pawar, Basant, Ashok, Aadith, Cooper, Brynley P, Tong, Steven Y C, Janson, Sonja, Wallis, Steven C, Roberts, Jason A and Parker, Suzanne L (2023). Validating a novel three-times-weekly post-hemodialysis ceftriaxone regimen in infected Indigenous Australian patients—a population pharmacokinetic study. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkad190

2. Hernández-Mitre, María Patricia, Won, Hayoung, Wallis, Steven C, Parker, Suzanne L and Roberts, Jason A (2023). Stability of nafamostat in intravenous infusion solutions, human whole blood and extracted plasma: implications for clinical effectiveness studies. Bioanalysis. doi: 10.4155/bio-2023-0040

3. Adiraju, Santosh K. S., Sumi, Chandra D., Pandey, Saurabh, Cotta, Menino O., Roberts, Jason A, Lipman, Jeffrey, Wallis, Steven C. and Parker, Suzanne L. (2023). Quantification of levetiracetam in plasma and urine and its application to a pharmacokinetic study of traumatic brain injury patients. Bioanalysis, 15 (1), 31-42. doi: 10.4155/bio-2022-0230

4. Scuderi, Carla, Parker, Suzanne, Jacks, Margaret, John, George T., McWhinney, Brett, Ungerer, Jacobus, Mallett, Andrew, Healy, Helen, Roberts, Jason and Staatz, Christine (2023). Fingerprick microsampling methods can replace venepuncture for simultaneous therapeutic drug monitoring of tacrolimus, mycophenolic acid, and prednisolone concentrations in adult kidney transplant patients. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, 45 (1), 69-78. doi: 10.1097/FTD.0000000000001024

5. Scuderi, Carla E., Parker, Suzanne L., Jacks, Margaret, John, George T., McWhinney, Brett, Ungerer, Jacobus, Mallett, Andrew J., Healy, Helen G., Roberts, Jason A. and Staatz, Christine E. (2023). Serum Creatinine and Tacrolimus Assessment With VAMS Finger-Prick Microsampling: A Diagnostic Test Study. Kidney Medicine, 5 (4) 100610, 100610. doi: 10.1016/j.xkme.2023.100610

6. Ryan, Rochelle L., Jackson, Dwane, Hopkins, George, Eley, Victoria, Christensen, Rebecca, Van Zundert, Andre A. J., Wallis, Steven C., Lipman, Jeffrey, Parker, Suzanne L. and Roberts, Jason A. (2022). Plasma and interstitial fluid pharmacokinetics of prophylactic cefazolin in elective bariatric surgery patients. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 66 (7), e0041922. doi: 10.1128/aac.00419-22

7. Suna, Jessica, Moloney, Gregory, Marathe, Supreet P., Bierbach, Benjamin, Roberts, Jason A., Parker, Suzanne, Ungerer, Jacobus P.J., McWhinney, Brett, Dorofaeff, Tavey, Venugopal, Prem and Alphonso, Nelson (2022). Perioperative cefazolin prophylaxis in pediatric cardiac surgery: a prospective, cohort study. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 114 (4), 1434-1440. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.02.047

8. Zylbersztajn, Brenda, Parker, Suzanne, Navea, Daniel, Izquierdo, Giannina, Ortiz, Paula, Torres, Juan Pablo, Fajardo, Cristian, Diaz, Rodrigo, Valverde, Cristian and Roberts, Jason (2021). Population pharmacokinetics of vancomycin and meropenem in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12 709332, 1-10. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.709332

9. Sime, Fekade B, Lassig-Smith, Melissa, Starr, Therese, Stuart, Janine, Pandey, Saurabh, Parker, Suzanne L., Wallis, Steven C., Lipman, Jeffrey and Roberts, Jason A. (2020). Cerebrospinal fluid penetration of ceftolozane/tazobactam in critically ill patients with an indwelling external ventricular drain. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 65 (1) e01698-20, 1-11. doi: 10.1128/aac.01698-20

10. Guerra Valero YC, Dorofaeff T, Coulthard MG, Sparkes L, Lipman J, Wallis SC, Roberts JA, Parker SL Optimal dosing of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime for critically ill paediatric patients. Can we use microsampling? Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2022; doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkac168

11. Parker SL, Wallis SC, Fourie C, Lassig-Smith M, Starr T, Chikatamarla A, Dorofaeff T, Chatfield MD, Lipman J, Roberts JA Evaluation of low-volume plasma sampling for the analysis of meropenem in clinical samples Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 2022; 414(6): 2155-2162

12. Parker SL, Irwin AD, Hosking F, August D, Schoenmaker B, Pandey S, Wallis SC, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Davies MW Innovation in microsampling for therapeutic drug monitoring of gentamicin in neonates: a proof-of-concept study Innovation in microsampling for therapeutic drug monitoring of gentamicin in neonates: a proof-of-concept study Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2022 Feb;59(2):106513. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106513

13. Rowe DJ, Owens DR, Parker SL, Faust SN, Wilkinson JS The Effect of Haematocrit on Measurement of the Mid-Infrared Refractive Index of Plasma in Whole Blood, Biosensors 11 (11), 417

14. Guerra Valero YC, Dorofaeff T, Roberts JA, Lipman J, Coulthard MG, Sparkes L, Wallis SC, Parker SL. Development and validation of a UHPLC-MS/MS method to measure cefotaxime and metabolite desacetylcefotaxime in blood plasma: a pilot study suitable for capillary microsampling in critically ill children.  Anal Bioanal Chem. 2021 Jul;413(17):4483-4491. doi: 10.1007/s00216-021-03411-7. Epub 2021 May 26. PMID: 34041575

15. Guerra Valero Y, Dorofaeff T, Parker L, Coulthard MG, Sparkes L, Lipman J, Wallis SC, Roberts JA, Parker SL. Microsampling to support pharmacokinetic clinical studies in pediatrics. Pediatr Res. 2021 May 22. doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01586-4. Online ahead of print. PMID: 34023854

16. Guerra Valero, YC., Dorofaeff, T, Roberts, JA., Lipman, J, Coulthard, MG., Sparkes, L, Wallis, SC. and Parker SL. (2021). Development and validation of a UHPLC-MS/MS method to measure cefotaxime and metabolite desacetylcefotaxime in blood plasma: a pilot study suitable for capillary microsampling in critically ill children. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. doi: 10.1007/s00216-021-03411-7

17. Scuderi C, Parker SL, Jacks M, John G, McWhinney B, Ungerer J, Mallett A, Roberts JA, Healy H, Staatz CE. Kidney transplant recipient’s perceptions of blood testing through microsampling and venepuncture. Bioanalysis 2020; in press (date accepted May 27^th 2020; BIO-2020-0057.R2).

18. Parker SL, Pandey S, Sime FS, Stuart J, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC A validated LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of the novel combination antibiotic, ceftolozane-tazobactam, in plasma (total and unbound), CSF, urine and renal replacement therapy effluent: application to pilot pharmacokinetic studies Clin Chem Lab Med 2020 Nov 24; cclm-2020-1196

19. Pandey S, Dhanani J, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC, Parker SL. Development and validation of LC-MS/MS methods to measure tobramycin and lincomycin in plasma, microdialysis fluid and urine: application to a pilot pharmacokinetic research study. Clin Chem Lab Med 2019: 58(2):274-284.

20. Parker SL, Pandey S, Sime FB, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. A validated LC-MSMS method for the simultaneous quantification of meropenem and vaborbactam in human plasma and renal replacement therapy effluent and its application to a pharmacokinetic study. Anal Bioanal Chem 2019: 411(29):7831-7840.

21. Guerra Valero Y, Roberts JA, Lipman J, Fourie C, Starr T, Wallis SC, Parker SL. Analysis of capillary microsamples obtained from a skin-prick to measure vancomycin concentrations as a valid alternative to conventional sampling: a bridging study. J Pharmaceut Biomed Anal 2019; 169: 288-92.

22. Naicker S, Guerra Valero YC, Ordonez JL, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC, Parker SL. A UHPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of piperacillin and tazobactam in plasma (total and unbound), urine and renal replacement therapy effluent. J Pharmaceut Biomed Anal 2017; 148:324-333

23. Parker SL, Guerra Valero Y, Lipman J, Weiss S, Smith C, Russell L, Smith P, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. A validated UHPLC-MS/MS method for the measurement of riluzole in plasma and myocardial tissue samples. Biomed Chromatograph 2017; in press (date accepted 14^th June 2017; BMC-17-0066).

24. Parker SL, Guerra Valero YC, Ordóñez Meija JL, Roger C, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. LC-MS/MS method to determine vancomycin in plasma (total and unbound), urine and renal replacement therapy effluent. Bioanalysis 2017; 9(12):911-924.

25. Parker SL, Guerra Valero YC, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. Effect of time on recovery of plasma microsamples for the quantitative determination of vancomycin. Bioanalysis 2016; 8(21):2235-2242.

26. Parker SL, Adnan S, Ordonez Meija JL, Paterson DL, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. A UHPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of ampicillin and sulbactam in human plasma and urine. Bioanalysis 2015; in press (date accepted 3rd July 2015).

27. Parker SL, Guerra ValeroYC, Roberts DM, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. Determination of Cefalothin and Cefazolin in Human Plasma, Urine and Peritoneal Dialysate by UHPLC-MS/MS: application to a pilot pharmacokinetic study in humans. Biomed Chromatograph 2016; 30(6): 872-9.

28. Parker SL, Roberts JA, Lipman J, Wallis SC. Quantitative bioanalytical validation of fosfomycin in human whole blood with volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS). Bioanalysis 2015; 7(19): 2585-95.

29. Parker SL, Lipman J, Dimopoulos G, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. A validated method for the quantification of fosfomycin on dried plasma spots by HPLC-MS/MS: application to a pilot pharmacokinetic study in humans. J Pharmaceut Biomed Anal 2015; 115: 509-14.

30. Parker SL, Lipman J, Roberts JA, Wallis SC. A simple LC-MS/MS method using HILIC chromatography for the determination of fosfomycin in plasma and urine: application to a pilot pharmacokinetic study in humans. J Pharmaceut Biomed Anal 2015; 105C: 39-45.

31. Guerra Valero YC, Wallis SC, Lipman J, Stove C, Roberts JA, Parker SL. Clinical application of microsampling vs. conventional sampling in the quantitative bioanalysis of antibiotics. Bioanalysis 2018; 10(6):407-423.

32. Dorofaeff T, Bandini RM, Lipman J, Ballot DE, Roberts JA, Parker SL. Uncertainty in antibiotic dosing in critically ill paediatric patients: can microsampling provide the answers? Clin Ther 2016; 38(9):1961-75.

33. Parker SL, Dorofaeff T, Lipman J, Ballot DE, Bandini RM, Wallis SC, Roberts JA. Is there a role for microsampling in antibiotic pharmacokinetic studies? Exp Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2016; 12(6): 601-14.