Achieving Therapeutic Vancomycin Levels in Pediatric Patients

Abstract

Common empiric vancomycin dosing regimens (40-60 mg/kg daily) are not high enough to achieve trough levels of 10-20 mg/L in the majority of pediatric patients. Given these data, the authors suggest a starting dose of 60 mg/kg daily for patients 1 to 5 months of age and those 13 to 18 years of age and a starting dose of 70 mg/kg daily for patients 6 months to 12 years of age.