Population pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in Chinese elderly patients and its application for dose individualisation

Abstract

In the present study, we aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetics (PPK) model of vancomycin (VCM) and propose the individualised dosage regimen for Chinese elderly patients. The data were collected prospectively from Chinese elderly patients receiving VCM therapy. Steady-state trough concentrations of VCM were determined using an enzyme-multiplied immunoassay. Patients' sex, age, body weight, concomitant medications, infection type, and laboratory findings were recorded. The PPK model was developed using nonlinear mixed-effects model software. Moreover, we used Monte Carlo simulations to develop an initial dosage regimen targeting various VCM through concentration ranges based on the final model. We found that VCM clearance (CL) was significantly influenced by post-craniotomy meningitis (PCM) and glomerular filtration rate in elderly patients. Additionally, a new dosage regimen was proposed to individualise VCM regimen for PCM and non-PCM elderly patients. A PPK model was established to estimate the individual VCM CL for elderly patients, which could be applied for individualising doses in the target population.