Recommended initial loading dose of teicoplanin, established by therapeutic drug monitoring, and outcome in terms of optimal trough level.

Teicoplanin has a long serum half-life, and therefore it takes time to reach a steady-state concentration. An initial loading procedure has been recommended for teicoplanin to enable prompt reaching of the optimal serum trough level (10-15 microg/ml). However, the dose of teicoplanin that should be administered to patients with varying renal function levels remains inconclusive. In this study, we monitored the serum concentrations of teicoplanin in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia and compared different teicoplanin serum concentrations and their clinical efficacy, investigating the significance of the mean dose administered during the initial 3 days. The study included 48 patients with MRSA pneumonia. The peak and trough concentrations of teicoplanin were determined utilizing a fluorescence polarization immunoassay and a two-compartment Bayesian population model. Teicoplanin was given at a loading dose of 400 or 800 mg on the first day, followed by maintenance doses of 200 or 400 mg. The mean initial dose (MID) over the first 3 days was calculated as: (loading dose + dose on 2nd day + dose on 3rd day)/3. Patients with an MID of 266.7 mg or less (400 mg for loading, 200 mg over the 2nd and 3rd days) did not have a trough level that exceeded 10 microg/ml at the point before the injection on the 4th day. Even in patients with hemodialysis (HD), an MID of 266.7 mg was not enough to provide a trough level of 10 microg/ml. Patients with an MID than 533.3 mg had significantly elevated trough levels, showing better outcomes. A multiple regression formula for predicting trough level before the fourth day of administration is given as: 0.034 + 0.030 x (MID; mg) - 0.057 x creatinine clearance (Ccr; ml/min). These findings suggest that 800 mg as an initial dose, followed by 400 mg maintenance doses over the following 2 days, makes it possible to safely attain an optimal trough level, even in the patients with HD.