Comparison of intermittent versus continuous-infusion vancomycin for treating severe patients in intensive care units

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare pharmacokinetic characteristics between intermittent infusion and continuous infusion of vancomycin for critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units. METHODS: Intermittent therapy was administered for 60 minutes and prescribed as a loading dose of 30 mg/kg and continued with 15 mg/kg q12 h. Continuous infusion was prescribed as a loading dose of 30 mg/kg followed by 30 mg/kg on constant infusion pump. Blood samples from vancomycin intermittent infusion group were collected 1 h before third dose, 1 h, 8 h and 24 h after third dose infusion. Blood samples from vancomycin continuous infusion group were collected 1 h after loading dose, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, and 48 h after continuous infusion initiation. RESULTS: Median serum concentration of continuous infusion group at 24-hour was 23.59 μg/mL [14.52–28.97], while of intermittent infusion group at 23-hour was 12.30 μg/mL [7.27–18.12] and on 25-hour was 17.58 μg/mL [12.5–22.5]. Medians AUC(24–48h) were 357.2 mg.h/L and 530.2 mg.h/L for intermittent infusion and continuous infusion groups, respectively (p = 0.559). CONCLUSION: Vancomycin CI reached steady state earlier, which guaranteed therapeutic levels from the first day and made it possible to manage therapeutic drug monitoring faster.