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Once daily dose gentamicin in neonates — is our dosing correct?
Author(s) -
Serane Tiroumourougane V,
Zengeya Stanley,
Penford Gemma,
Cooke Jane,
Khanna Gitika,
McGregorColman Elle
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01297.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gentamicin , gestational age , dosing , neonatal intensive care unit , gestation , creatinine , sepsis , anesthesia , antibiotics , pediatrics , pregnancy , surgery , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Aim: The aim of this paper is to study the safety and efficacy (measured by therapeutic level) of once daily gentamicin in neonates ≥32 weeks of gestation and ≤7 days of age. Setting: Level II neonatal intensive care unit. Subjects: Neonates ≥32 weeks of gestation and ≤7 days of age treated with gentamicin for presumed sepsis. Methods: Gentamicin was administered by intravenous injection at 4 mg/kg/day once daily. Peak and trough gentamicin levels were measured at the third dose. Results: In neonates with gestational age between 32 and 36 weeks, 14 out of 65 (22%) had trough serum concentration >2 mg/L. Only 39 (60%) had peak and trough levels within the therapeutic range. All babies who had audiometric evaluation (62 out of 65) had normal hearing. Out of the 65 babies, 60 had paired serum creatinine levels estimated and none had evidence of renal dysfunction. Among term neonates, only 2 out of 50 had the trough serum concentration of >2 mg/L. In 38 (76%) of the 50 neonates, the trough serum gentamicin concentration was <2.0 mg/L and the peak level was <10 mg/L. Forty‐eight babies had audiometric evaluation which was normal. Conclusion: A dose of 4 mg/kg/day produces serum gentamicin levels outside the therapeutic range in two‐fifths of neonates between 32 and 36 ± 6 weeks. A single dose of 4 mg/kg/day of gentamicin is appropriate for term babies and probably excessive for 32–36 weeks’ neonates.