Evaluation of a vancomycin dosing nomogram in obese patients weighing at least 100 kilograms.

Background: There remains variability in both practice and evidence related to optimal initial empiric dosing strategies for vancomycin.

Objective: Our primary objective was to describe the percentage of obese patients receiving vancomycin doses consistent with nomogram recommendations achieving targeted initial steady-state serum vancomycin concentrations. Secondary objectives were to describe the primary endpoint in subgroups based on patient weight and estimated creatinine clearance, to describe the rate of supratherapeutic vancomycin accumulation following an initial therapeutic trough concentration, and to describe the rate of vancomycin-related adverse events.

Undetectable Vancomycin Concentrations Utilizing a Particle Enhanced Turbidimetric Inhibition Immunoassay in a Patient with an Elevated IgM Level.

Background: A case of undetectable vancomycin concentrations with the use of a particle enhanced turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay is reported.

Methods: A 73-year-old woman with B-cell lymphoma, chronic neutropenia with myelodysplastic syndrome and elevated IgM levels displayed repeated undetectable vancomycin concentrations, despite appropriate empiric vancomycin dosing. The vancomycin concentrations were processed utilizing a particle enhanced turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay (PETINIA).

Safety of Levalbuterol Compared to Albuterol in Patients With a Tachyarrhythmia.

: To determine the safety of levalbuterol versus albuterol in patients with a tachyarrhythmia. : A PubMed search was conducted using the MeSH search terms levalbuterol, albuterol, and tachyarrhythmia. Bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed for additional citations.