Influence of age on amikacin pharmacokinetics in patients without renal disease. Comparison with gentamicin and tobramycin

The influence of age on amikacin pharmacokinetics was examined in 87 patients with normal renal function. All patients had a gram negative infection, were febrile, weighed within 20% of their ideal body weight, did not receive penicillin antibiotics concurrently, had normal hematocrits and had a measured 24 h creatinine clearance greater than 80 ml/min/1.73 m2. 31 patients were 20–39 years old, 27 patients were between the ages of 40–59 years, and 29 patients were 60–79 years old. These patients were compared to patients in similar previous studies who received gentamicin or tobramycin. No significant differences in clearance, volume of distribution or half-life were found due to age within a single drug group (amikacin, gentamicin, or tobramycin) or among the 3 drug groups. However, a substantial amount of intersubject variability existed in the calculated pharmacokinetic parameters. Patients over 40 years old tended to be underdosed with amikacin and the other 2 aminoglycosides. The average amikacin dose needed to achieve the desired steady-state concentrations was 18.9 mg/kg/day. 52% of the amikacin patients required doses greater than the recommended maximum (15 mg/kg/day). Since aminoglycoside pharmacokinetics do not change as age increases, doses do not need to be arbitrarily changed in older patients with normal renal function.