Impact of total body weight on rate of acute kidney injury in patients treated with piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin

The Effect of Vancomycin and Piperacillin-Tazobactam on Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Obesity

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that administration of combination vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam (VPT) increases the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) beyond that of vancomycin alone. But these investigations have not evaluated AKI risk specifically in an increasingly prevalent obese population in whom VPT pharmacokinetics are altered. Objective: To evaluate AKI risk with VPT administration to patients with obesity. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of obese patients admitted to 2 separate academic teaching hospitals from January 2010 to December 2021, who received VPT, or vancomycin plus either cefepime, meropenem, or ceftazidime. The primary outcome evaluated AKI when patients were treated with or without VPT. Results: A total of 227 patients were evaluated (114 in VPT, vs 113 in control group). Overall, body mass index (35.6 kg/m2 ± 4.8vs 36.1 kg/m2 ± 5.2; P = .44) was similar between the VPT and control groups respectively. Total vancomycin dose on day 1 of antibiotic therapy (3,432 mg ± 935 vs 2,732 mg ± 912; P < .01) and nephrotoxin administration (75.4% vs 62.8%; P = .04) were higher in the VPT group. Incidence of AKI was higher in the VPT group (37.7%vs 14.2%; P = .01) and on regression analysis VPT was predictive of developing AKI (OR = 3.9; 95% CI = 2.0-7.7; P < .01). Conclusion and Relevance: In this retrospective study, the incidence of AKI was increased in obese patients receiving therapy with VPT. Vancomycin combination therapy with ceftazidime, cefepime, and meropenem appeared to be safe and was associated with less nephrotoxicity. Cautious use of VPT and further investigation with larger studies are warranted in this area.

Evaluating the Safety of Trough Versus Area Under the Curve (AUC)-Based Dosing Method of Vancomycin With Concomitant Piperacillin-Tazobactam

Background: Vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam (VPT) is a common antibiotic combination used in hospitals, and there has been increasing data indicating that the combination is associated with increased rates of acute kidney injury (AKI). It is unclear if the dosing method of vancomycin would mitigate the risk of AKI seen with VPT. Objective: To observe and compare incidence of AKI in patients on VPT when using the trough-based dosing method versus the area-under-the-curve (AUC)-based dosing method. Methods: This was a multi-center, retrospective, observational study at 3 community hospitals. Adults receiving at least 48 hours of VPT were included. Patients with severe renal dysfunction, pregnant patients, prisoners, and patients with central nervous system infections, or malignancy were excluded. The primary outcome was incidence of AKI as defined by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) criteria. Results: A total of 300 patients were included in the study; 150 patients in both the trough and AUC groups. A total of 23 patients (15%) in the trough group and 17 patients (11%) in the AUC group met the primary outcome (odds ratio [OR]: 0.7058, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.3603, 1.3826], P = .3098). Conclusion and Relevance: The incidence of AKI was lower in the AUC group compared with the trough group; however, this was not significant. The results of our study suggest that there is no difference between incidence of AKI when using trough- or AUC-based dosing in those receiving VPT. Because of the small sample size and retrospective nature of the study, more data are needed.

Estradiol Ameliorates Acute Kidney Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting the TGF-βRI-SMAD Pathway

Renal ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is less extensive in females than males in both animals and humans; however, this protection diminishes after menopause, suggesting that estrogen plays a pivotal role in IRI, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Our study found that 45 min of warm ischemia was sufficient to induce significant pathological changes without causing death in model animals. Compared with male rats, female rats exhibited less extensive apoptosis, kidney injury, and fibrosis; these effects were worsened in ovariectomized (OVX) rats and ameliorated upon estradiol (E₂) supplementation. Furthermore, the levels of TGF-βRI, but not TGF-βRII or TGF-β1, were significantly increased in OVX rats, accompanied by phosphorylated SMAD2/3 activation. Interestingly, the alteration trend of the nuclear ERα level was opposite that of TGF-βRI. Furthermore, dual luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that ERα could bind to the promoter region of TGF-βRI and negatively regulate its mRNA expression. Moreover, an in vitro study using NRK-52E cells showed that ERα knockdown blocked E₂-mediated protection, while TGF-βRI knockdown protected cells against hypoxic insult. The findings of this study suggest that renal IRI is closely related to the TGF-βRI-SMAD pathway in females and that E₂ exert its protective effect via the ERα-mediated transcriptional inhibition of TGF-βRI expression.

Using Japanese big data to investigate novel factors and their high-risk combinations that affect vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity

AIMS

Several factors related to vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity (VIN) have not yet been clarified. In the present study, we used Japanese big data to investigate novel factors and their high-risk combinations that influence VIN.

METHODS

We employed a large Japanese electronic medical record database and included patients who had been administered intravenous vancomycin between June 2000 and December 2020. VIN was defined as an increase in serum creatinine ≥0.5 mg/dL or 1.5-fold higher than the baseline. The outcomes were: (1) factors affecting VIN that were identified using multiple logistic regression analysis, and (2) combinations of factors that affect the risk of VIN according to a decision tree analysis, which is a typical machine learning method.

RESULTS

Of the 7,306 patients that were enrolled, VIN occurred in 14.2% of them (1,035). A multivariate analysis extracted 22 variables as independent factors. Concomitant ramelteon use (odds ratio; 0.701, 95% confidence interval; 0.512-0.959), ward pharmacy service (0.741, 0.638-0.861), duration of VCM <7 days (0.748, 0.623-0.899) and trough concentrations 10-15 mg/L (0.668, 0.556-0.802) reduce the risk of VIN. Meanwhile, concomitant piperacillin-tazobactam use (2.056, 1.754-2.409) and piperacillin use (2.868, 1.298-6.338) increase the risk. The decision tree analysis showed that a combination of vancomycin trough concentrations ≥20 mg/L and concomitant piperacillin-tazobactam use was associated with the highest risk.

CONCLUSIONS

We revealed that the concomitant ramelteon use and ward pharmacy service may decrease the risk of VIN, while the concomitant use of not only piperacillin-tazobactam but also piperacillin may increase the risk.

Xenobiotic-Induced Aggravation of Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), which is often linked to obesity, encompasses a large spectrum of hepatic lesions, including simple fatty liver, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Besides nutritional and genetic factors, different xenobiotics such as pharmaceuticals and environmental toxicants are suspected to aggravate MAFLD in obese individuals. More specifically, pre-existing fatty liver or steatohepatitis may worsen, or fatty liver may progress faster to steatohepatitis in treated patients, or exposed individuals. The mechanisms whereby xenobiotics can aggravate MAFLD are still poorly understood and are currently under deep investigations. Nevertheless, previous studies pointed to the role of different metabolic pathways and cellular events such as activation of de novo lipogenesis and mitochondrial dysfunction, mostly associated with reactive oxygen species overproduction. This review presents the available data gathered with some prototypic compounds with a focus on corticosteroids and rosiglitazone for pharmaceuticals as well as bisphenol A and perfluorooctanoic acid for endocrine disruptors. Although not typically considered as a xenobiotic, ethanol is also discussed because its abuse has dire consequences on obese liver.

Nephrotoxicity of teicoplanin-based combination therapy: focus on piperacillin/tazobactam and other anti-pseudomonal β-lactams

BACKGROUND

The concurrent use of vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam increases the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) compared with vancomycin use with other anti-pseudomonal β-lactams (OAPBs). Teicoplanin is a glycopeptide antibiotic with lower nephrotoxicity than that of vancomycin. Whether the concomitant use of teicoplanin and piperacillin/tazobactam also increases the risk of AKI remains unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the AKI risk between teicoplanin-piperacillin/tazobactam and teicoplanin-OAPBs.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, propensity score-matched cohort study. Adult patients receiving teicoplanin-based combination therapy were included. OAPBs included cefepime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, ceftazidime, doripenem, imipenem/cilastatin and meropenem. Propensity score matching was performed to balance demographic and confounding factors. The primary endpoint was AKI during combination therapy.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching, 954 patients (teicoplanin-piperacillin/tazobactam: teicoplanin-OAPBs, 1:3 matched, 243 pairs in total) were included for analysis. The mean age was 66.3 years in the matched cohort and 17.1% of patients had shock. Use of nephrotoxic medications (45.7% versus 48.7%) and baseline renal function (78.88 ± 31.26 versus 81.05 ± 31.53 mL/min/1.73 m2) were similar in the two groups. The median teicoplanin dose was 10.7 mg/kg in both groups. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of AKI risk (14.8% versus 14.2%, P = 0.815). However, the time to AKI appeared shorter in the teicoplanin-piperacillin/tazobactam group (4.64 ± 2.33 versus 6.29 ± 4.72 days, P = 0.039).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of teicoplanin and piperacillin/tazobactam was not associated with an increased risk of AKI compared with teicoplanin and OAPBs.

Nephrotoxicity from Vancomycin Combined with Piperacillin-Tazobactam: A Comprehensive Review

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have identified the combination of vancomycin with piperacillin-tazobactam (VPT) to be associated with increased nephrotoxicity. Multiple, large cohort studies have found this widely used combination to have a higher risk of nephrotoxicity than other regimens in a variety of populations.

SUMMARY

This review summarizes the epidemiology and clinical features of VPT-associated acute kidney injury (AKI). Potential mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of this phenomenon are also discussed. Key Message: VPT-associated nephrotoxicity is a recently recognized clinical entity. Clinical strategies to minimize the risk of toxicity in this setting include antimicrobial stewardship, monitoring of kidney function, and emerging data supporting the potential role for novel biomarkers in predicting and managing AKI.

The effect of body mass index and creatinine clearance on serum trough concentration of vancomycin in adult patients

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of patient body mass index (BMI) and estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl) on serum vancomycin concentrations to define a possible optimal dosage regimen in overweight patients based on data obtained during therapeutic drug monitoring.

Methods

This retrospective study used data collected from January 2017 to January 2019. Adult patients (n = 204) received vancomycin treatment at a dose of 1000 mg every 12 h and underwent serum monitoring. Data collected included patient disease category, sex, age, height, weight, vancomycin concentrations, and serum creatinine. The CrCl values were estimated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. In this study, statistical comparisons were performed on the results of patients according to serum vancomycin concentration.

Results

Serum vancomycin concentration was significantly related to BMI (P <  0.001) and CrCl (P <  0.05) in adult patients. Furthermore, the trough serum vancomycin concentration showed a logarithmic correlation with BMI (R = − 0.5108, 95% CI: − 0.6082 to − 0.3982, P <  0.001) and CrCl (R = − 0.5739, 95% CI: − 0.6616 to − 0.4707, P <  0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that BMI and CrCl are independent contributors to the trough vancomycin concentration. Moreover, some of the patients with higher BMI (≥ 24 kg/m²) met the goal trough concentration after an adjustment from 1000 mg every 12 h to 1000 mg every 8 h.

Conclusions

Serum vancomycin concentration decreases progressively with increasing BMI and the augmentation in CrCl in adult patients. The trough concentration of vancomycin should be continuously monitored for patients with a BMI ≥ 24 kg/m², and the dosage regimen should be adjusted to reach the target trough concentration in these patients to reduce the impact of BMI.

Obesity Is Not an Independent Predictor of Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection Outcomes

Background: Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are a group of rapidly progressive infections of the skin and its underlying tissue. These infections result in substantial morbidity and mortality. The focus of this study was to determine if obesity is associated with a worsened clinical outcome or prolonged hospital course for patients with NSTIs. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with NSTI presenting to a single tertiary hospital. Fat content, measured with body mass index (BMI) and abdominal fat thicknesses, including subcutaneous and visceral fat, were compared against primary and secondary outcomes of NSTIs. Results: We found that women had a higher mortality rate compared with men (27% vs. 15% mortality). Women also had an increased subcutaneous abdominal fat thickness (55.7 vs. 36.9 mm, p = 0.028). However, no measurements of fat, BMI, subcutaneous fat, or visceral fat differed between survivors and mortalities of NSTIs. In fact, with the exception of a higher BMI in those who developed acute kidney injury (AKI, p = 0.034), we found no correlation between increases in fat measurement and secondary outcome, including propensity to develop sepsis during hospitalization, length of hospital stay, length of intensive care stay, or antibiotic usage. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted, and we found no statistically significant differences in primary or secondary outcomes. Conclusion: Women appear to have a higher mortality in NSTI, although the reasons for this are unclear. Obesity, as measured by BMI, subcutaneous, and visceral fat thicknesses, does not appear to be an independent risk factor.

Acute kidney injury following the concurrent administration of antipseudomonal β-lactams and vancomycin: a network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acute kidney injury is a major complication of vancomycin treatment, especially when it is co-administered with other nephrotoxins.

OBJECTIVES

This meta-analysis aims to comparatively assess the nephrotoxicity of antipseudomonal β-lactams when combined with vancomycin.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Scopus, CENTRAL and Clinicaltrials.gov databases were systematically searched from inception through 20 August 2019.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Studies evaluating acute kidney injury risk following the concurrent use of antipseudomonal β-lactams and vancomycin were selected.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult and paediatric patients treated in hospital or intensive care unit.

INTERVENTIONS

Administration of vancomycin combined with any antipseudomonal β-lactam.

METHODS

Acute kidney injury incidence was defined as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included severity, onset, duration, need of renal replacement therapy, length of hospitalization and mortality. Quality of evidence was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool and the Confidence In Network Meta-Analysis approach.

RESULTS

Forty-seven cohort studies were included, with a total of 56 984 patients. In the adult population, the combination of piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin resulted in significantly higher nephrotoxicity rates than vancomycin monotherapy (odds ratio (OR) 2.05, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.17-3.46) and its concurrent use with meropenem (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.02-3.10) or cefepime (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.13-2.77). In paediatric patients, acute kidney injury was significantly higher with vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam than vancomycin alone (OR 4.18, 95% CI 1.01-17.29) or vancomycin plus cefepime OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.08-11.24). No significant differences were estimated for the secondary outcomes. Credibility of outcomes was judged as moderate, mainly due to imprecision and inter-study heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam is associated with higher acute kidney injury rates than its parallel use with meropenem or cefepime. Current evidence is exclusively observational and is limited by inter-study heterogeneity. Randomized controlled trials are needed to verify these results and define preventive strategies to minimize nephrotoxicity risk.