Review on Population Pharmacokinetics of Amikacin in Paediatrics

Abstract

Amikacin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic with a broad-spectrum bacterial coverage that is frequently utilized both as monotherapy and in combination with other antibiotics for severe bacterial infections in the paediatric population. The narrow therapeutic index of the drug and high inter-individual variabilities in drug exposure results in either drug toxicity or subtherapeutic concentrations. Thus, therapeutic drug monitoring and population pharmacokinetics are pivotal to facilitate the optimal dosage regimens in paediatrics and negate the adverse outcomes. The therapeutic goal is to maintain the target peak and trough concentrations within 30-40mg/l and <5 mg/l respectively. This review aimed to summarize population pharmacokinetic considerations and the pharmacokinetic parameters of amikacin across the paediatric population.

Keywords

• amikacin
• paediatric
• population pharmacokinetics
• therapeutic drug monitoring