Executive Summary: Therapeutic Monitoring of Vancomycin for Serious Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections: A Revised Consensus Guideline and Review of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists

Abstract

Background: Recent vancomycin PK/PD and toxicodynamic studies enable a reassessment of the current dosing and monitoring guideline in an attempt to further optimize the efficacy and safety of vancomycin therapy. The area-under-the-curve to minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC/MIC) has been identified as the most appropriate pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target for vancomycin. The 2009 vancomycin consenus guidelines recommended specific trough concentrations as a surrogate marker for AUC/MIC. However, more recent toxicodynamic studies have reported an increase in nephrotoxicity associated with trough monitoring.

Methods and results: This is the executive summary of the new vancomycin consensus guidelines for dosing and monitoring vancomycin therapy and was developed by the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists vancomycin consensus guidelines committee.

Conclusions: The recommendations provided in this document are intended to assist the clinician in optimizing vancomycin for the treatment of invasive MRSA infections in adult and pediatric patients. An AUC/MIC by broth microdilution (BMD) ratio of 400 to 600 (assuming MICBMD of 1 mg/L) should be advocated as the target to achieve clinical efficacy while improving patient safety for patients with serious MRSA infections. In such cases, AUC-guided dosing and monitoring is the most accurate and optimal way to manage vancomycin therapy.

Keywords: nephrotoxicity; pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; target attainment; vancomycin; vancomycin consensus guidelines.