ABSTRACT
Objectives To analyze the relationship between the different dosage of vancomycin and its blood concentration in children in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), the relationship between different valley concentrations and therapeutic efficacy and the adverse reactions. Methods The clinical data of 72 children admitted to PICU and treated with vancomycin from January 2013 to June 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The vancomycin doses in 58 cases was 40 mg/(kg·d) and were 60 mg/(kg·d) 14 patients. In the subjects treated at 40 mg/(kg·d), administration by q12h were in 19 cases, q8h in 22 cases and q6h in 17 cases. After vancomycin was administered at least 4 doses, blood samples were collected, and the valley concentration was determined within 30 min before administration of vancomycin and peak concentration was determined within 30-60 min after administration of vancomycin. The concentration of vancomycin in plasma was detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results When vancomycin was administrated at 40 mg/(kg·d), there were no difference in valley concentration and peak concentration among the three groups of q12h, q8h, and q6h (P>0.05). The effective rate was not different between valley concentration ≤5 μg/mL and >5 μg/mL of vancomycin (81.8% vs. 84.0%, P>0.05). Compared with vancomycin 40 mg/(kg·d) group (q8h), the valley concentration and peak concentration in 60 mg/(kg·d) group were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion It was difficult to reach a valley concentration of 10 μg/mL by using conventional doses of vancomycin. Thus, in order to achieve effective concentration and reduce adverse reactions, the dosage of vancomycin can be increased, and the times of administration can also be increased.
ABSTRACT
It is important to use vancomycin in a proper manner to ensure optimal drug exposure. Despite extensive use of vancomycin in children, studies on its optimal trough concentration (C(trough)) in the pediatric population remained rare. This retrospective study included children < 18 years old with culture-confirmed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia who were hospitalized in our institute from January 2010 to April 2014. Clinical characteristics, initial vancomycin dose, Ctrough and clinical/microbiological outcomes were retrospectively collected from medical records. Forty-six MRSA bacteremia cases occurring to the patients with a mean age of 22.0 ± 46.9 months were included and all of them were healthcare-associated. Severe diseases requiring intensive care unit (ICU) stay, mechanical ventilation and/or resulting in death were observed in 57.8% (26/45); all-cause 30-day fatality was 11.1% (5/45). An initial C(trough) ≥ 15 μg/mL was achieved in only 4 (8.7%) cases with an average vancomycin dosage of 40.6 ± 7.9 mg/kg/day. Persistent bacteremia at 48 hours after initiation of vancomycin was observed more frequently in children with initial Ctrough < 10 μg/mL than in those with C(trough) < 10 μg/mL (P = 0.032). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of 30-day mortality and recurrent bacteremia (P = 0.899, and P = 0.754, respectively). Although initial C(trough) may be a useful parameter for minimizing early microbiological failure, it does not predict 30-day fatality or recurrence in pediatric MRSA bacteremia. Further prospective data on vancomycin dosing are needed to find the optimal drug exposure and clarify its impact on clinical outcomes in pediatric populations.