ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a meropenem population pharmacokinetic model in critically ill children receiving continuous renal replacement therapy and simulate dosing regimens to optimize patient exposure. METHODS: Meropenem plasma concentration was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Meropenem pharmacokinetics was investigated using a non-linear mixed-effect modeling approach. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to compute the optimal scheme of administration, according to the target of a 100% inter-dose interval time in which concentration is one to four times above the minimum inhibitory concentration (100% fT>1-4×MIC). RESULTS: A total of 27 patients with a median age of 4 [interquartile range 0-11] years, a median body weight of 16 [range 7-35] kg receiving continuous renal replacement therapy were included. Concentration-time courses were best described by a one-compartment model with first-order elimination. Body weight (BW) produced significant effects on volume of distribution (V) and BW and continuous renal replacement therapy effluent flow rate (Qeff) produced significant effects on clearance (CL): [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where Vpop and CLpop estimates were 32.5 L and 5.88 L/h, respectively, normalized to a 70-kg BW and median Qeff at 1200 mL/h. Using this final model and Monte Carlo simulations, for patients with Qeff over 1200 mL/h, meropenem continuous infusion was adequate in most cases to attain 100% fT>1-4xMIC. For bacterial infections with a low minimum inhibitory concentration (≤2 mg/L), meropenem intermitent administration was appropriate for patients weighing more than 20 kg with Qeff <500 mL/h and for patients weighing more than 10 kg with Qeff <100 mL/h. CONCLUSIONS: Meropenem exposure in critically ill children receiving continuous renal replacement therapy needs dosing adjustments to the minimum inhibitory concentration that take into account body weight and the continuous renal replacement therapy effluent flow rate.