A pharmacokinetic basis for improving therapeutic outcomes of aminoglycoside therapy during continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration

The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) on amino-glycoside pharmacokinetics and to suggest dosing strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes for these drugs in critically ill patients treated with CVVHDF. There has been limited published data on aminoglycoside pharmacokinetics during CRRT. This data deficit had led to subtherapeutic dosing, identified by a retrospective evaluation of amikacin and gentamicin serum concentrations, in patients treated with CVVHDF, undertaken as part of this research.