Loading Vancomycin Doses in the Emergency Department
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
In 2008, our ED administered an average of 245 doses of vancomycin per month. Currently there
is no consistency in the ED practice in regards to vancomycin dosing. In 2009, the IDSA put
forth new recommendations for vancomycin dosing in order to achieve therapeutic levels more
rapidly. It has been hypothesized that if therapeutic levels are reached more rapidly then
patients will in turn have better clinical outcomes and that the development of resistant
organisms will be decreased. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged
as one of the most deadly pathogens that are currently plaguing our patient population.
Vancomycin is one of only a few antibiotics that are effective for treating MRSA. It is
imperative that the ED physicians consistently and correctly dose vancomycin in order to give
the patients the best chance to fight infection while helping to prevent further resistance
in this already highly resistant organism. It is believed this study will reveal that the new
dosing recommendations by the IDSA will lead to the achievement of therapeutic levels more
rapidly. This information will in turn help to convince ED physicians that a change in
current clinical practice is warranted and ultimately lead to better clinically outcomes for
the patients.