Therapeutic drug monitoring of β-lactam antibiotics in the ICU.

Introduction: Individualizing antibiotic therapy is paramount to improve clinical outcomes while minimizing the risk of toxicity and antimicrobial therapy. β-lactam antibiotics are amongst the drugs most commonly prescribed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The pharmacokinetics of β-lactam antibiotics are profoundly altered in critically ill patients, leading to the failure of standard drug dosing regimens to result in adequate drug concentrations. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) of β-lactam antibiotics is a promising tool to help optimize β-lactam antibiotic therapy.

Areas Covered: The rationale behind TDM for β-lactam antibiotics is explained, as well as some more practical aspects such as when to sample, what concentrations to strive for and how to use it in clinical practice. We also discuss microbiological and analytical considerations, knowledge gaps, and future perspectives of β-lactam antibiotics TDM in ICU patients.

Expert Opinion: TDM of β-lactam antibiotics has been studied intensively in recent years. While TDM may not yet be widely available, and targets need to be further refined, TDM of β-lactam antibiotics will help to optimize antibiotic therapy in the critically ill patient, as an integrated part of an antimicrobial stewardship program.