In the treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), which is a complication of underlying diseases such as infections and malignant tumors, effective plasma concentrations of thrombomodulin (TM) alfa range from 300 to 900 ng/mL; however, appropriate concentrations when treating sepsis-induced DIC are unknown. Thus, our aim was to determine the relationship between plasma concentrations of TM alfa and its therapeutic effects, and hemorrhagic adverse events. First, we calculated the plasma trough concentrations of TM alfa in septic DIC patients. Next, we divided patients into two groups according to their plasma concentrations into a low- and high-concentration group based on a cut-off value of 600 ng/mL. Fourteen and 35 patients were included in the low- and high-concentration groups, respectively. The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine DIC diagnostic criteria score 4 days after TM alfa administration decreased significantly by 2.06 points from baseline in the high-concentration group compared with 0.71 points in the low-concentration group. The 90-day survival rate was significantly higher in the high-concentration group (85.4%) than in the low-concentration group (49.0%) (hazard ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval: 0.09–0.86). In contrast, the incidence of serious hemorrhage was not significantly different between the groups. The recommended plasma concentration of TM alfa in the treatment of septic DIC was determined to be higher than 600 ng/mL, and a dose of 380 U/kg (0.06 mg/kg) was necessary to achieve this concentration.

Pharmacists are providing pharmaceutical care in general wards, but it is still not common in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, we have worked in ICU, and recommended the rational dosage regimen of the antibiotics to the physicians during the treatment period. Especially, the patients who were infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in ICU should be provided appropriate antibiotic therapy, otherwise they have a poor prognosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate usefulness of the pharmacists' intervention on the antibiotic therapy for MRSA infectious diseases in the ICU. We investigated retrospectively the period of anti MRSA drugs administration, the medical cost, which includes cost of anti MRSA drugs and hospital charge, and the initial trough concentration of vancomycin (VCM). The patients with MRSA pneumonia were classiˆed into two groups according to the pharmacists' intervention. The number of the patients who the pharmacists performed dosage regimen of anti MRSA drug was 11 (intervention group) and that of the patients who the pharmacists performed no intervention was 47 (control group). The average period of administration of anti MRSA drugs in the intervention group was signiˆcantly decreased in 5 days. Furthermore, if the pharmacists performed dosage regimen of anti MRSA drug to the patients in control group, the medical cost of 10 million yen would be saved. The initial trough concentrations of VCM were not signiˆcantly diŠerent between two groups. However, the achievement rates are 75.0％ in intervention group and 66.7％ in control group, if the goal of trough level of VCM is set from 5 to 15 mg/ml. Moreover, there are 75.0％ in intervention group and 20.8％ in control group, if the goal of trough level of VCM is set from 10 to 20 mg/ml, which is signiˆcantly diŠerent between the two groups. Therefore, it was suggested that the pharmacists in the ICU contributed to optimize the anti MRSA therapy and reduce the medical cost.

It is essential to assure the efficacy of antimicrobials at the initial phase of therapy. However, increasing the volume of distribution (Vd) of hydrophilic antimicrobials in critically ill patients leads to reduced antimicrobial concentration in plasma and tissue, which may adversely affect the efficacy of that therapy. The aim of the present study was to establish a theoretical methodology for setting an appropriate level for initial vancomycin therapy in individual patients based on Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. We obtained data from patients who received intravenous vancomycin for a suspected or definitively diagnosed Gram-positive bacterial infection within 72 h after admission to the intensive care unit. The Vd and elimination half-life (t 1/2) of vancomycin values were calculated using the Bayesian method, and we investigated the relationship between them and APACHE II score. There were significant correlations between APACHE II scores and Vd/actual body weight (ABW), as well as t 1/2 (r = 0.58, p < 0.05 and r = 0.74, p < 0.01, respectively). Our results suggested that the Vd and t 1/2 of vancomycin could be estimated using the following regression equations using APACHE II score.[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]We found that APACHE II score was a useful index for predicting the Vd and t 1/2 of vancomycin, and used that to establish an initial vancomycin dosing regimen comprised of initial dose and administration interval for individual patients.

We evaluated the eŠects of pharmacist intervention for adverse drug reaction detection and exacerbation avoidance, as well as the severity and outcome of reactions based on analyses of pharmacist involvement in a collaborative approach to medicine. Of 5436 cases with pharmacist involvement, adverse drug reaction prevention was seen in 440, accounting for 8.1％, and exacerbation avoidance in 213, accounting for 3.9％. We concluded that pharmacist involvement contributes to detect adverse drug reactions and avoid exacerbation, and improves pharmacotherapy safety. We also analyzed 131 cases in which the course after intervention was followed. When categorized by adverse drug reaction severity, Grade 1 and 2 were the same at 45.8％, Grade 3 at 8.4％, respectively. Thoseˆndings suggested that pharmacist intervention contributes to early detection of an adverse drug reaction. Also, the relationship between clues for detecting adverse drug reactions by a pharmacist and their severity showed that objective evaluations such as clinical laboratory test results, physical assessments and medication history were important for detecting reactions that became more serious. Patients recovered or recovering from an adverse reaction comprised 76.4％, indicating that pharmacist intervention contributed to exacerbation avoidance and improvement. Ourˆndings revealed the eŠects of pharmacist intervention for adverse drug reaction detection and exacerbation avoidance, and for safety improvement of pharmacotherapy. Additionally, we considered it necessary for the future pharmacist intervention to improve skills of assessing an adverse drug reaction objectively.

EVLWI determined by the PiCCO system is useful to predict Vss and should lead to more effective vancomycin therapy for critically ill patients at the initial stage.