Abstract
Vancomycin penetration in epithelium lining fluid was studied in ten mechanically ventilated patients with methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus pneumonia 24 hours after the onset of treatment. Vancomycin was given intravenously at a daily dose of 30 mg/kg. Vancomycin levels were detectable in four patients (range, 1–2.77 μg/ml). Concordance between high plasma concentrations (> 20 μg/ml) and detectable vancomycin levels in epithelium lining fluid was noted. These results suggest that the pulmonary disposition of vancomycin remains low for most patients 24 h after the onset of treatment compared with the minimum inhibitory concentrations for most gram-positive organisms. One therapeutic goal of vancomycin treatment could be to obtain through plasma levels of 20 μg/ml. Further studies are required to determine the clinical relevance of these observations.
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Georges, H., Leroy, O., Alfandari, S. et al. Pulmonary disposition of vancomycin in critically ill patients. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 16, 385–388 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01726369
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01726369