Vancomycin population pharmacokinetics analysis in Chinese paediatric patients with varying degrees of renal function and ages: development of new practical dosing recommendations

OBJECTIVES: To describe the pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in a large Chinese paediatric cohort with varying degrees of renal function and ages and to develop practical dosing guidelines. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population pharmacokinetic study using data from paediatric patients who received vancomycin between June 2013 and June 2022. A non-linear mixed-effect modelling approach with a one-compartment model structure was applied. Monte Carlo simulations were used to stimulate an optimal dosage regimen to achieve the target of AUC(24)/MIC between 400 and 650. RESULTS: We analysed a total of 673 paediatric patients and 1547 vancomycin serum concentrations. Covariate analysis revealed that physiological maturation, renal function, albumin and cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) significantly affected vancomycin pharmacokinetics. The typical clearance and volume of distribution, standardized to 70 kg, were 7.75 L/h (2.3% relative standard error, RSE) and 36.2 L (1.7% RSE), respectively. Based on the model, we proposed an optimal dosing regimen that considers the patient’s age and estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to achieve a target AUC(24)/MIC for CTS and non-CTS patients. We also found that a loading dose of 20 mg/kg can help patients with an eGFR of <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) achieve the target AUC on the first day of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We established vancomycin pharmacokinetic parameters in Chinese paediatric patients and proposed a dosing guideline integrating eGFR, age and CTS status, potentially improving clinical outcomes and reducing nephrotoxicity risk.