Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Research Center for Rational Use of Drugs, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Pharmaceutics, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

3 Research Center for Rational Use of Drugs and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objective: Many hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients receive 
vancomycin empirically during febrile neutropenia. There are several models for estimation of 
vancomycin pharmacokinetic parameters and calculation of initial dosing regimen accordingly. 
However, the performance of these methods in HSCT patients remained to be evaluated. 
The aim of the study was to determine which of the vancomycin population pharmacokinetic 
methods best fit Iranian HSCT patients.
Methods: In order to evaluate predicted performance of seven vancomycin population 
pharmacokinetic models, the pharmacokinetic parameters of patients were estimated using 
each model’s equations. Then the predicted steady‑state trough vancomycin concentration was 
calculated based on each model’s parameters and using a formula based on Sawchuk–Zaske 
method. The predicted steady‑state trough vancomycin concentration and the real measured 
concentrations were compared to see which method was the most precise and least biased 
using mean squared error (MSE) and mean prediction error (ME) respectively.
Findings: Forty‑six patients (65% men) were included in the study. Calculated metrics showed 
a range of 38% under‑prediction bias with Rodvold to 34% over‑prediction bias with Matzke and 
Burton models. Birt and revised Burton methods showed no significant bias(ME [95% confidence 
interval(CI)]: –0.067 [–0.235–0.101] and 0.066 [–0.105–0.238]). Birt and revised Burton were not 
different significantly considering MSE (95% CI) of 0.385 (0.227–0.544) and 0.401 (0.255–0.546), 
respectively. Comparisons of precision with naive predictors revealed a delta MSE (95% CI) 
of –0.128 (–1.379–1.890) for Birt and 0.026 (–0.596–0.940) for revised Burton models.
Conclusion: Although the Birt and Burton revised methods performed well, none of the 
studied models showed acceptable performance to be implemented as a routine method 
for initial dose calculation in HSCT patients. A vancomycin pharmacokinetic model specific 
for this high‑risk subpopulation of Iranian patients should be designed and validated.

Keywords

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