Pharmacokinetics and therapeutic target attainment of vancomycin in pediatric post-liver transplant patients

• Published in: The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 27; no. 6; p. 103688
• Main Authors: Morales Junior, Ronaldo, Juodinis, Vanessa D'Amaro, de Souza, Daniela Carla, Santos, Silvia Regina Cavani Jorge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Contexto 01.11.2023; Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bacterial infections; Critically ill children; Dosage and administration; Drug therapy; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; Liver; Liver transplantation; Organ transplant recipients; Patient outcomes; Pediatric research; Pediatrics; Pharmacokinetics; Transplantation; Vancomycin; Brazil; Pediatrics; Vancomycin; Pharmacokinetics; Liver transplantation
• ISSN: 1413-8670; 1678-4391; 1678-4391
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2023.103688

Vancomycin is widely prescribed to treat or prevent Gram-positive infections in pediatric liver transplant recipients. The objective of this prospective cohort study is to describe vancomycin pharmacokinetics and to evaluate the therapeutic target attainment after initial dose regimen. Patients with previous renal injury were excluded. Vancomycin therapy started with 40‒60 mg/kg/day. The pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed using two steady-state blood samples and the first-order kinetic equations. Therapeutic target was defined as vancomycin 24-hour Area Under the Curve/Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (AUC/MIC) ≥ 400 and < 600. Sixteen patients were included. The found vancomycin clearance, half-life, and volume of distribution were, respectively: 2.1 (1.3‒2.8) mL/kg/min, 3.3 (2.7‒4.4) hours, and 0.7 (0.5‒0.9) L/kg. With the initial dose, only 6 (37 %) patients reached the therapeutic target against Gram-positive pathogens with MIC 1 mg/L. After individual dose adjustments, all patients reached the target. The correlation between trough levels and AUC was low (R  = 0.5). Pediatric patients with preserved renal function after liver transplantation have an increased volume of distribution for vancomycin, and most patients present subtherapeutic levels after the standard initial dosing regimen. With the vancomycin AUC-guided monitoring and dosing, it is possible to improve therapeutic target attainment.