2. Methods
Respective literature was reviewed on Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science,
and Google Scholar databases using the key search terms “vancomycin”,
“therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)”, “nephrotoxicity”,
“pharmacokinetics”, “pharmacodynamics”, “trough concentration”,
“peak concentration”, “area under the curve (AUC)”, “critically ill
patients”, “burn injuries”, “obese patients”, “cancer”, “renal
failure”, “hepatic failure”, “organ transplantation”,
“pregnancy”, and “lactation” from 1950 through December 2020. In
doing so, titles and abstracts of the related articles were considered
for further assessment, with review and original articles included.
First, different pharmacokinetic
parameters used in vancomycin TDM were discussed and reviewed. Then
advantages, disadvantages as well as the clinical efficacy of those
parameters were summarized. The focus of this review has been on
one-compartmental models already used extensively in the clinical
settings. Vancomycin TDM in patients with altered pharmacokinetics were
reviewed and summarized, too. Last but not least, pharmacoeconomics and
cost-effectiveness of vancomycin TDM were discussed.