Egyptian Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology

Egyptian Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology
Vol. 7 (2017), Issue 2, pp. 1-8 
doi:10.32527/2017/101421

Vancomycin Concentration and Monitoring Practice in Pediatric Oncology and Nononcology Patients: A Retrospective Single Center Study

Objectives: Cancer patients may have higher clearance of vancomycin in comparison to the general population.This study is a retrospective chart reviewfrom a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia. It explores whether plasma concentrations of vancomycin in pediatric oncology patients are different from those of other pediatric patients. Methods: Pediatric oncology and non-oncology patients treated with vancomycin during the period from January 2011 to December 2012 were included. Data were extracted about demographics, diagnosis, and vancomycin monitoring parameters. Linear regression models were constructed to test the effect of different variables on the log transformed vancomycin concentration adjusted for time of concentration determination. Results: One hundred cases (73 oncology and 27 non-oncology)were analysed. Mean predose vancomycin concentration was around 9 microgram/mL and there was no significant difference between oncology and non-oncology patients. Oncology patients had significantly higher creatinine clearance values and vancomycin doses (p < 0.001 and 0.003 respectively). Being an oncology patient, was shown to be an independent predictor for the concentration of vancomycin after adjustment of all other factors (beta: (0.283), 95%CI : (- 0.557) – (0.008), p=0.044). Conclusion: Pediatric oncology patients may need higher vancomycin doses to achieve plasma concentrations comparable to non-oncology patients.