Background Vancomycin treatment failure has been associated with low serum vancomycin trough concentrations, prompting recommendations to increase the daily doses in adults and children. Despite more aggressive vancomycin dosing, there continues to be significant variability in vancomycin trough concentrations in pediatric patients. Methods To determine if vancomycin trough concentrations in pediatric patients differ by age and weight, we reviewed records of hospitalized patients who received vancomycin between 2008 and 2012. Patients were divided into groups that received vancomycin 40 mg/kg/day (2008 to 2009) or 60 mg/kg/day (2010 to 2012). Vancomycin trough concentrations were compared between groups and within the 60-mg/kg/day group, stratified by patient age and weight. Results After increasing the vancomycin dose from 40 mg/kg/day to 60 mg/kg/day, initial trough concentrations increased significantly in patients younger than 2 and greater than 6 years of age, but not in patients between the ages of 2 and 5 years. In the 60-mg/kg/day group, only 16.7% of patients between 2 and 5 years of age had initial trough concentrations in the therapeutic range (10 mcg/mL to 20 mcg/mL). Initial trough concentrations were therapeutic in a greater proportion of patients ages 6 years to 12 years (38.7%) and 13 years to 18 years (63.0%). Patients between the ages of 13 and 18 had the highest proportion of supratherapeutic initial vancomycin trough concentrations (14.8%). Patients weighing > 50 kg had significantly higher trough concentrations than patients ≤ 50 kg (17.1 mcg/mL vs. 9.3 mcg/mL; p<0.001). Conclusion Although increasing the vancomycin dose from 40 mg/kg/day to 60 mg/kg/day led to a significant increase in vancomycin trough concentrations, a large proportion of patients receiving 60 mg/kg/day of vancomycin had trough concentrations outside of the therapeutic range. Specifically, patients younger than 6 years tend to have low trough concentrations, while adolescents and children > 50 kg are more likely to have elevated trough concentrations. Vancomycin dosing strategies in pediatric patients should consider age and weight as well as renal function and indication.

Treatment with both midodrine and beta-blockers was associated with overall improvement in POTS patients' general health; however, adolescents taking beta-blockers were more likely than those taking midodrine to credit the role of medications in their improvement.

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OBJECTIVES: With increasing complexity of critical care medicine comes an increasing need for multidisciplinary involvement in care. In many institutions, pharmacists are an integral part of this team, but long-term data on the interventions performed by pharmacists and their effects on patient care and outcomes are limited. We aimed to describe the role of pediatric clinical pharmacists in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) practice. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of pharmacy interventions in the PICU at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 2003-2013, with a distinct period of increased pharmacist presence in the PICU from 2008 onward. We compared demographic and outcome data on patients who did and who did not have pharmacy interventions during 2 periods (2003–2007 and 2008–2013). RESULTS: We identified 27,773 total interventions by pharmacists during the 11-year period, of which 79.8% were accepted by the clinical team. These interventions were made on 10,963 unique PICU admissions and prevented 5867 order entry errors. Pharmacists' interventions increased year over year, including a significant change in 2008. Patients who required pharmacy involvement were younger, sicker, and had longer intensive care unit, hospital, and ventilator duration. Average central line infections and central line entry rates decreased significantly over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Increased pharmacist presence in the PICU is associated with increased interventions and prevention of adverse drug events. Pharmacist participation during rounds and order entry substantially improved the care of critically sick children and should be encouraged.