Glomerular Function and Urinary Biomarker Changes between Vancomycin and Vancomycin plus Piperacillin-Tazobactam in a Translational Rat Model

Past, present, and future biomarkers of kidney function and injury: The relationship with antibiotics

Routinely used kidney biomarkers of injury and function such as serum creatinine and urine albumin to creatinine ratio, are neither sensitive nor specific. Future biomarkers are being developed for clinical use and have already been included in guidance from groups such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Predictive Safety Testing Consortium. These biomarkers have important implications for early identification of kidney injury and more accurate measurement of kidney function. Many antibiotics are either eliminated by the kidney or can cause clinically significant nephrotoxicity. As a result, clinicians should be familiar with new biomarkers of kidney function and injury, their place in clinical practice, and applications for antibiotic dosing.

Dynamic changes in the real-time glomerular filtration rate and kidney injury markers in different acute kidney injury models

In this study, we dynamically monitored the glomerular filtration rate and other assessment of renal function and markers of injury in various mice models of acute kidney injury. Male C57BL/6 mice were utilized to establish acute kidney injury models of sepsis, ischemia reperfusion, cisplatin, folic acid, aristolochic acid and antibiotic. In addition to the real time glomerular filtration rate, renal LCN-2 and HAVCR-1 mRNA expression levels, and serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and cystatin c levels were also used to evaluate renal function. In addition, the protein levels of LCN-2 and HAVCR-1 in renal, serum and urine were measured. Our results demonstrated that the changes in biomarkers always lagged the real time glomerular filtration rate during the progression and recovery of renal injury. Cystatin-c can reflect renal injury earlier than other markers, but it remains higher in the recovery stage. Perhaps the glomerular filtration rate does not reflect the greater injury caused by vancomycin plus piperacillin.

[Potential Nephrotoxicity of Combination of Vancomycin and Piperacillin-Tazobactam: Recommendations from the AG ABS of the DGPI supported by experts of the GPN]

The combination of vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam (V+P/T) is used for empirical antibiotic treatment of severe infections, especially in immunocompromised patients and those colonized with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nephrotoxicity is a frequently observed adverse effect of vancomycin. Its risk can be reduced by therapeutic drug monitoring and adjusted dosing. Piperacillin/tazobactam (P/T) rarely causes interstitial nephritis. The results of retrospective cohort studies in children predominantly show a low, clinically irrelevant, additive nephrotoxicity (defined as an increase in creatinine in the serum) of both substances. Due to the limitations of the existing publications, the ABS working group of the DGPI and experts of the GPN do not recommend against the use of P/T plus vancomycin. Preclinical studies and a prospective study with adult patients, which evaluated different renal function tests as well as clinical outcomes, do not support previous findings of additive nephrotoxicity. Time-restricted use of V+P/T can minimize exposure and the potential risk of nephrotoxicity. Local guidelines, developed in collaboration with the antibiotic stewardship team, should define the indications for empirical and targeted use of P/T and V+P/T. When using combination therapy with V+P/T, kidney function should be monitored through clinical parameters (volume status, balancing, blood pressure) as well as additional laboratory tests such as serum creatinine and cystatin C.

Relationship between nephrotoxicity and area under the concentration-time curve of vancomycin in critically ill patients: a multicenter retrospective study

We aimed to assess the frequency of acute kidney injury (AKI) in different areas under the concentration-time curve (AUC) values of vancomycin (VAN) using a two-point blood collection method, allowing for accurate AUC assessment in critically ill patients. This multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted in eight hospitals. We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who had received VAN in an intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2020 and December 2022. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI. Patients were classified into three groups according to the AUC24-48h at the initial therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as follows: <500, 500-600, and ≥600 µg·h/mL. The AUC24-48h values were calculated using the Bayesian estimation software Practical AUC-guided TDM. Among 146 patients [median age (interquartile range), 67 (56-78) years; 39% women], the AUC24-48h <500 µg·h/mL had an AKI rate of 6.5% (7/107), the AUC24-48h 500-600 µg·h/mL had an AKI rate of 28.0% (7/25), and the AUC24-48h ≥600 µg·h/mL had an AKI rate of 42.9% (6/14). In multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, the AUC24-48h 500-600 µg·h/mL [hazard ratio 5.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64-17.63] and the AUC24-48h ≥600 μg·h/mL (hazard ratio 7.0, 95% CI 2.31-21.18) significantly correlated with a higher incidence of AKI compared with the AUC24-48h <500 μg·h/mL. In conclusion, we identified an association between AUC on day 2 and the risk of AKI in ICU patients, suggesting that not only AUCs above 600 µg·h/mL but also those between 500 and 600 µg·h/mL pose a risk for AKI.

IMPORTANCE

Vancomycin (VAN) is a glycopeptide antibiotic and one of the most commonly used antibiotics for severe infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. However, higher VAN concentrations have been associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). Herein, we aimed to assess the frequency of AKI in different areas under the concentration-time curve (AUC) values of VAN using a two-point blood collection method, allowing for accurate AUC assessment in critically ill patients. We identified an association between AUC on day 2 and the risk of AKI in intensive care unit patients, suggesting that not only AUCs above 600 µg·h/mL but also those between 500 and 600 µg·h/mL pose a risk for AKI. Therefore, individualized dosing is feasible, with pharmacists being able to optimize VAN doses to attain appropriate targets.

Flucloxacillin worsens while imipenem-cilastatin protects against vancomycin-induced kidney injury in a translational rat model

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Vancomycin is one of the most common clinical antibiotics, yet acute kidney injury is a major limiting factor. Common combinations of antibiotics with vancomycin have been reported to worsen and improve vancomycin-induced kidney injury. We aimed to study the impact of flucloxacillin and imipenem-cilastatin on kidney injury when combined with vancomycin in our translational rat model.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Male Sprague-Dawley rats received allometrically scaled (1) vancomycin, (2) flucloxacillin, (3) vancomycin + flucloxacillin, (4) vancomycin + imipenem-cilastatin or (5) saline for 4 days. Kidney injury was evaluated via drug accumulation and urinary biomarkers including urinary output, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), clusterin and osteopontin. Relationships between vancomycin accumulation in the kidney and urinary kidney injury biomarkers were explored.

KEY RESULTS

Urinary output increased every study day for vancomycin + flucloxacillin, but after the first dose only in the vancomycin group. In the vancomycin + flucloxacillin group, urinary KIM-1 increased on all days compared with vancomycin. In the vancomycin + imipenem-cilastatin group, urinary KIM-1 was decreased on Days 1 and 2 compared with vancomycin. Similar trends were observed for clusterin. More vancomycin accumulated in the kidney with vancomycin + flucloxacillin compared with vancomycin and vancomycin + imipenem-cilastatin. The accumulation of vancomycin in the kidney tissue correlated with increasing urinary KIM-1.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Vancomycin + flucloxacillin caused more kidney injury compared with vancomycin alone and vancomycin + imipenem-cilastatin in a translational rat model. The combination of vancomycin + imipenem-cilastatin was nephroprotective.

Association of piperacillin and vancomycin exposure on acute kidney injury during combination therapy

Objectives

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a well-documented adverse effect observed with piperacillin/tazobactam in combination with vancomycin. The pharmacokinetics of these antibiotics when given in combination have not been previously evaluated. The purpose of this study was to compare the exposure of vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam in patients with and without AKI.

Methods

Ninety adult patients, who received at least 72 h of vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam combination therapy and had available serum concentrations of vancomycin and piperacillin were included in the study. Nephrotoxicity was defined as a 1.5-fold increase in serum creatinine within 7 days from baseline. Median daily AUCs were calculated in those with nephrotoxicity (vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam 'N') versus those without nephrotoxicity (vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam 'WN') during the first 7 days of combination therapy.

Results

The overall incidence of AKI in those receiving vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam was 20% (18/90). The median daily vancomycin AUCs did not differ between the vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam 'WN' and vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam 'N' groups. Although not statistically significant, the median daily vancomycin AUCs in the vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam 'N' group were numerically greater on Day 5 and trended downwards thereafter. For the piperacillin group, the median daily AUCs did not vary between groups, except on Day 7 where the vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam 'WN' group had statistically greater median piperacillin AUC than the vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam 'N' group (P = 0.046).

Conclusions

Utilizing serum creatinine-defined AKI, our study did not find any significant differences in vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam exposure between the groups with and without nephrotoxicity. These data indicate that vancomycin + piperacillin/tazobactam should not be avoided due to the risk of overexposure; instead, clinicians should continue to use these therapies cautiously.

Overview of Antibiotic-Induced Nephrotoxicity

Drug-induced nephrotoxicity accounts for up to 60% of cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) in hospitalized patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in both adults and children. Antibiotics are one of the most common causes of drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Mechanisms of antibiotic-induced nephrotoxicity include glomerular injury, tubular injury or dysfunction, distal tubular obstruction from casts, and acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) mediated by a type IV (delayed-type) hypersensitivity response. Clinical manifestations of antibiotic-induced nephrotoxicity include acute tubular necrosis (ATN), AIN, and Fanconi syndrome. Given the potential nephrotoxic effects of antibiotics on critically ill patients, the use of novel biomarkers can provide information to optimize dosing and duration of treatment and can help prevent nephrotoxicity when traditional markers, such as creatinine, are unreliable. Use of novel kidney specific biomarkers, such as cystatin C and urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), may result in earlier detection of AKI, dose adjustment, or discontinuation of antibiotic and development of nonnephrotoxic antibiotics.

Cefepime vs Piperacillin-Tazobactam in Adults Hospitalized With Acute Infection: The ACORN Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Cefepime and piperacillin-tazobactam are commonly administered to hospitalized adults for empirical treatment of infection. Although piperacillin-tazobactam has been hypothesized to cause acute kidney injury and cefepime has been hypothesized to cause neurological dysfunction, their comparative safety has not been evaluated in a randomized clinical trial.

Objective

To determine whether the choice between cefepime and piperacillin-tazobactam affects the risks of acute kidney injury or neurological dysfunction.

Design, Setting, and Participants

The Antibiotic Choice on Renal Outcomes (ACORN) randomized clinical trial compared cefepime vs piperacillin-tazobactam in adults for whom a clinician initiated an order for antipseudomonal antibiotics within 12 hours of presentation to the hospital in the emergency department or medical intensive care unit at an academic medical center in the US between November 10, 2021, and October 7, 2022. The final date of follow-up was November 4, 2022.

Interventions

Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the highest stage of acute kidney injury or death by day 14, measured on a 5-level ordinal scale ranging from no acute kidney injury to death. The 2 secondary outcomes were the incidence of major adverse kidney events at day 14 and the number of days alive and free of delirium and coma within 14 days.

Results

There were 2511 patients included in the primary analysis (median age, 58 years [IQR, 43-69 years]; 42.7% were female; 16.3% were Non-Hispanic Black; 5.4% were Hispanic; 94.7% were enrolled in the emergency department; and 77.2% were receiving vancomycin at enrollment). The highest stage of acute kidney injury or death was not significantly different between the cefepime group and the piperacillin-tazobactam group; there were 85 patients (n = 1214; 7.0%) in the cefepime group with stage 3 acute kidney injury and 92 (7.6%) who died vs 97 patients (n = 1297; 7.5%) in the piperacillin-tazobactam group with stage 3 acute kidney injury and 78 (6.0%) who died (odds ratio, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.80 to 1.13], P = .56). The incidence of major adverse kidney events at day 14 did not differ between groups (124 patients [10.2%] in the cefepime group vs 114 patients [8.8%] in the piperacillin-tazobactam group; absolute difference, 1.4% [95% CI, -1.0% to 3.8%]). Patients in the cefepime group experienced fewer days alive and free of delirium and coma within 14 days (mean [SD], 11.9 [4.6] days vs 12.2 [4.3] days in the piperacillin-tazobactam group; odds ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.65 to 0.95]).

Conclusions and Relevance

Among hospitalized adults in this randomized clinical trial, treatment with piperacillin-tazobactam did not increase the incidence of acute kidney injury or death. Treatment with cefepime resulted in more neurological dysfunction.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05094154.

Iohexol-Measured Glomerular Filtration Rate and Urinary Biomarker Changes between Vancomycin and Vancomycin Plus Piperacillin-Tazobactam in a Translational Rat Model

Recent clinical studies have reported additive nephrotoxicity with the combination of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam. However, preclinical models have failed to replicate this finding. This study assessed differences in iohexol-measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urinary injury biomarkers among rats receiving this antibiotic combination. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either intravenous vancomycin, intraperitoneal piperacillin-tazobactam, or both for 96 h. Iohexol-measured GFR was used to quantify real-time kidney function changes. Kidney injury was evaluated with the urinary biomarkers kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), clusterin, and osteopontin. Compared to the control, rats that received vancomycin had numerically lower GFRs after drug dosing on day 3. Rats in this group also had elevations in urinary KIM-1 on experimental days 2 and 4. Increasing urinary KIM-1 was found to correlate with decreasing GFR on experimental days 1 and 3. Rats that received vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam (vancomycin+piperacillin-tazobactam) did not exhibit worse kidney function or injury biomarkers than rats receiving vancomycin alone. The combination of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam does not cause additive nephrotoxicity in a translational rat model. Future clinical studies investigating this antibiotic combination should employ more sensitive biomarkers of kidney function and injury, similar to those utilized in this study.

Transcutaneous measurement of renal function in two rodent models of obstructive nephropathy

OBJECTIVE

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a key indicator of renal function. In both clinical practice and pre-clinical research, serum levels of endogenous filtration markers, such as creatinine, are often used to estimate GFR. However, these markers often do not reflect minor changes in renal function. In this study, we therefore set out to evaluate the applicability of transcutaneous GFR (tGFR) measurements to monitor the changes in renal function, as compared to plasma creatinine (pCreatinine), in two models of obstructive nephropathy, namely unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) or bilateral ureteral obstruction followed by release (BUO-R) in male Wistar rats.

RESULTS

UUO animals showed a significant reduction in tGFR compared to baseline; whereas pCreatinine levels were not significantly changed. In BUO animals, tGFR drops 24 h post BUO and remains lower upon release of the obstruction until day 11. Concomitantly, pCreatinine levels were also increased 24 h after obstruction and 24 h post release, however after 4 days, pCreatinine returned to baseline levels. In conclusion, this study revealed that the tGFR method is superior at detecting minor changes in renal function as compared to pCreatinine measurements.

Pharmacokinetic and Biomarker Quantification Studies on Vancomycin-Loaded PEGylated Liposomes and Its Potential to Reduce Vancomycin-Induced Kidney Injury: A Rat Study

Vancomycin is a commonly used antibiotic in hospital settings, especially against Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). One of the major adverse events of vancomycin use in adults is kidney injury. The drug concentration, specifically the area under the concentration curve, predicts kidney injury in adults receiving vancomycin. To attempt to reduce vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity, we have successfully encapsulated vancomycin in polyethylene glycol-coated liposomes (PEG-VANCO-lipo). We have previously carried out in vitro cytotoxicity studies on kidney cells using PEG-VANCO-lipo and found it to be minimally toxic compared to the standard vancomycin. In this study, we have dosed male adult rats with PEG-VANCO-lipo or vancomycin HCl and compared plasma vancomycin concentrations and KIM-1 as an injury biomarker in rat urine. Male Sprague Dawley rats (350 ± 10 g) were administered vancomycin (n = 6) or PEG-VANCO-lipo (n = 6) 150 mg/kg/day for three days using an IV infusion in the left jugular vein catheter. Blood was collected for plasma at 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, and 1440 min after the first and the last IV dose. Urine was collected 0-2, 2-4, 4-8, and 8-24 h after the first and the last IV infusions using metabolic cages. The animals were observed for three days after the last compound administration. Vancomycin was quantified in plasma by LC-MS/MS. Urinary KIM-1 analysis was done by using an ELISA kit. Three days after the last dose, under terminal anesthesia with IP ketamine (65-100 mg/kg) and xylazine (7-10 mg/kg), rats were euthanized. Vancomycin urine and kidney concentrations and KIM-1 were lower on day three in the PEG-Vanco-lipo group compared to the vancomycin group (p < 0.05, ANOVA and/or t-test). There was a significant reduction in plasma vancomycin concentration on day one and day three (p < 0.05, t-test) in the vancomycin group compared to the PEG-VANCO-lipo group. Vancomycin-loaded PEGylated liposomes resulted in lower levels of kidney injury, as noted by a decrease in KIM-1 values. Moreover, longer circulation in plasma with increased concentration in plasma as opposed to the kidney was observed with the PEG-VANCO-lipo group. The results indicate the high potential of PEG-VANCO-lipo in decreasing the nephrotoxicity of vancomycin clinically.

Update on Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Beta-Lactam Antibiotics in Critically Ill Patients—A Narrative Review

Beta-lactam antibiotics remain one of the most preferred groups of antibiotics in critical care due to their excellent safety profiles and their activity against a wide spectrum of pathogens. The cornerstone of appropriate therapy with beta-lactams is to achieve an adequate plasmatic concentration of a given antibiotic, which is derived primarily from the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the specific pathogen. In a critically ill patient, the plasmatic levels of drugs could be affected by many significant changes in the patient’s physiology, such as hypoalbuminemia, endothelial dysfunction with the leakage of intravascular fluid into interstitial space and acute kidney injury. Predicting antibiotic concentration from models based on non-critically ill populations may be misleading. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has been shown to be effective in achieving adequate concentrations of many drugs, including beta-lactam antibiotics. Reliable methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, provide the accurate testing of a wide range of beta-lactam antibiotics. Long turnaround times remain the main drawback limiting their widespread use, although progress has been made recently in the implementation of different novel methods of antibiotic testing. However, whether the TDM approach can effectively improve clinically relevant patient outcomes must be proved in future clinical trials.

Iohexol-measured glomerular filtration rate and urinary biomarker changes between vancomycin and vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam in a translational rat model

Recent clinical studies have reported additive nephrotoxicity with the combination of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam. However, preclinical models have failed to replicate this finding. This study assessed differences in iohexol-measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urinary injury biomarkers among rats receiving this antibiotic combination. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either intravenous vancomycin, intraperitoneal piperacillin-tazobactam, or both for 96 hours. Iohexol-measured GFR was used to quantify real-time kidney function changes. Kidney injury was evaluated via the urinary biomarkers: kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), clusterin, and osteopontin. Compared to the control, rats that received vancomycin had numerically lower GFR after drug dosing on day 3. Rats in this group also had elevations in urinary KIM-1 on experimental days 2 and 4. Increasing urinary KIM-1 was found to correlate with decreasing GFR on experimental days 1 and 3. Rats that received vancomycin+piperacillin-tazobactam did not exhibit worse kidney function or injury biomarkers compared to vancomycin alone. The combination of vancomycin+piperacillin-tazobactam does not cause additive nephrotoxicity in a translational rat model. Future clinical studies investigating this antibiotic combination should employ more sensitive biomarkers of kidney function and injury, similar to those utilized in this study.

Impact of Vancomycin Loading Doses and Dose Escalation on Glomerular Function and Kidney Injury Biomarkers in a Translational Rat Model

Vancomycin-induced kidney injury is common, and outcomes in humans are well predicted by animal models. This study employed our translational rat model to investigate temporal changes in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and correlations with kidney injury biomarkers related to various vancomycin dosing strategies. First, Sprague-Dawley rats received allometrically scaled loading doses or standard doses. Rats that received a loading dose had low GFRs and increased urinary injury biomarkers (kidney injury molecule 1 [KIM-1] and clusterin) that persisted through day 2 compared to those that did not receive a loading dose. Second, we compared low and high allometrically scaled vancomycin doses to a positive acute kidney injury control of high-dose folic acid. Rats in both the low- and high-dose vancomycin groups had higher GFRs on all dosing days than the positive-control group. When the two vancomycin groups were compared, rats that received the low dose had significantly higher GFRs on days 1, 2, and 4. Compared to low-dose vancomycin, the KIM-1 was elevated among rats in the high-dose group on dosing day 3. The GFR correlated most closely with the urinary injury biomarker KIM-1 on all experimental days. Vancomycin loading doses were associated with significant losses of kidney function and elevations of urinary injury biomarkers. In our translational rat model, both the degree of kidney function decline and urinary biomarker increases corresponded to the magnitude of the vancomycin dose (i.e., a higher dose resulted in worse outcomes).

Progression of Kidney Injury with the Combination of Vancomycin and Piperacillin-Tazobactam or Cefepime in Sepsis-Associated Acute Kidney Injury

INTRODUCTION

The combination of vancomycin/piperacillin-tazobactam is associated with increases in serum creatinine compared to other antibiotic combinations in the treatment of infections for hospitalized patients. However, the available literature is limited to the study of incident acute kidney injury (AKI). The combination has not been evaluated in patients with AKI already present and the degree to which the trajectory of AKI is influenced by this combination is unknown.

METHODS

This was a single center, retrospective cohort study of adult patients with sepsis and AKI present on admission prescribed a combination of vancomycin with either piperacillin-tazobactam or cefepime within the first 3 days of admission. The primary outcome was maximum serum creatinine observed within days 2-7 of the hospital stay. Subsequent kidney outcomes were evaluated at one week and hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Of 480 patients with sepsis and AKI who met inclusion criteria, 288 (60%) received vancomycin/piperacillin-tazobactam, and 192 (40%) received vancomycin/cefepime. Patients were well-matched on clinical factors, including severity of illness, stage of AKI, exposure to other nephrotoxins, and durations of antimicrobial therapy. There were no differences in AKI trajectory during the first week as assessed by maximum serum creatinine (2.1 (1.4-3.5) mg/dl vs. 2.1 (1.4-3.0) mg/dl; p=0.459) and AKI progression (24.0% vs. 23.4%; p=0.895). No differences were observed with other kidney related outcomes, including the need for dialysis (14.6% vs. 13.0%; p=0.628) or major adverse kidney events at hospital discharge (48.3% vs. 47.9%; p=0.941).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with sepsis and AKI, the combination of vancomycin/piperacillin-tazobactam compared to vancomycin/cefepime was not associated with higher serum creatinine values or AKI progression in the week following ICU admission.

Simultaneous infusion of two incompatible antibiotics: Impact of the choice of infusion device and concomitant simulated fluid volume support on the particulate load and the drug mass flow rates

Vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam are known to be incompatible. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the impact of their simultaneous infusion on mass flow rates and particulate load and identify preventive strategies. We assessed both static conditions and a reproduction of an infusion line used in a hospital's critical care unit. A high-performance liquid chromatography/UV diode array system and static and dynamic laser diffraction particle counters were used. The mass flow rates were primarily influenced by the choice of the infusion device and the presence of simulated fluid volume support. Drug incompatibility also appeared to affect vancomycin's mass flow rate, and the dynamic particulate load increased during flow rate changes - especially in the infusion set with a large common volume line and no concomitant simulated fluid volume support. Only discontinuation of the piperacillin/tazobactam infusion was associated with a higher particulate load in the infusion set with a large common volume line and no concomitant simulated fluid volume support. A low common volume line and the use of simulated fluid volume support were associated with smaller fluctuations in the mass flow rate. The clinical risk associated with a higher particulate load must now be assessed.

Bibliometric and visual analysis of nephrotoxicity research worldwide

Background: Nephrotoxicity of drugs contributes to acute kidney injury with high mortality and morbidity, which crucially limits the application and development of drugs. Although many publications on nephrotoxicity have been conducted globally, there needs to be a scientometric study to systematically analyze the intellectual landscape and frontiers research trends in the future.

Methods: Publications on nephrotoxicity from 2011 to 2021 were collected to perform bibliometric visualization using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphica software based on the Web of Science Core Collection.

Results: A total of 9,342 documents were analyzed, which were primarily published in the United States (1,861), China (1,724), and Egypt (701). For institutions, King Saud University (166) had the most publications; Food and Chemical Toxicology, PLOS One, and Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy were productive journals, primarily concentrating on the mechanisms of nephrotoxicity and renoprotective in cisplatin and antibiotics, especially in oxidative stress. Burst detection suggested that cisplatin, piperacillin-tazobactam, vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity, antioxidants, and new biomaterials are frontiers of research.

Conclusion: This study first provides an updated perspective on nephrotoxicity and renoprotective strategies and mechanisms. This perspective may benefit researchers in choosing suitable journals and collaborators and assisting them in the deep understanding of the nephrotoxicity and renoprotective hotspots and frontiers.

Association of vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam with early changes in creatinine versus cystatin C in critically ill adults: a prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Although dozens of studies have associated vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam with increased acute kidney injury (AKI) risk, it is unclear whether the association represents true injury or a pseudotoxicity characterized by isolated effects on creatinine secretion. We tested this hypothesis by contrasting changes in creatinine concentration after antibiotic initiation with changes in cystatin C concentration, a kidney biomarker unaffected by tubular secretion.

METHODS

We included patients enrolled in the Molecular Epidemiology of SepsiS in the ICU (MESSI) prospective cohort who were treated for ≥ 48 h with vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam or vancomycin + cefepime. Kidney function biomarkers [creatinine, cystatin C, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)] were measured before antibiotic treatment and at day two after initiation. Creatinine-defined AKI and dialysis were examined through day-14, and mortality through day-30. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to adjust for confounding. Multiple imputation was used to impute missing baseline covariates.

RESULTS

The study included 739 patients (vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam n = 297, vancomycin + cefepime n = 442), of whom 192 had cystatin C measurements. Vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam was associated with a higher percentage increase of creatinine at day-two 8.04% (95% CI 1.21, 15.34) and higher incidence of creatinine-defined AKI: rate ratio (RR) 1.34 (95% CI 1.01, 1.78). In contrast, vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam was not associated with change in alternative biomarkers: cystatin C: - 5.63% (95% CI - 18.19, 8.86); BUN: - 4.51% (95% CI - 12.83, 4.59); or clinical outcomes: dialysis: RR 0.63 (95% CI 0.31, 1.29); mortality: RR 1.05 (95%CI 0.79, 1.41).

CONCLUSIONS

Vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam was associated with creatinine-defined AKI, but not changes in alternative kidney biomarkers, dialysis, or mortality, supporting the hypothesis that vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam effects on creatinine represent pseudotoxicity.

Blood Biomarkers and Metabolomic Profiling for the Early Diagnosis of Vancomycin-Associated Acute Kidney Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies

BACKGROUND

several blood-based biomarkers have been proposed for predicting vancomycin-associated kidney injury (VIKI). However, no systematic analysis has compared their prognostic value.

OBJECTIVE

this systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to investigate the role of blood biomarkers and metabolomic profiling as diagnostic and prognostic predictors in pre-clinical studies of VIKI.

METHODS

a systematic search of PubMed was conducted for relevant articles from January 2000 to May 2022. Animal studies that administered vancomycin and studied VIKI were eligible for inclusion. Clinical studies, reviews, and non-English literature were excluded. The primary outcome was to investigate the relationship between the extent of VIKI as measured by blood biomarkers and metabolomic profiling. Risk of bias was assessed with the CAMARADES checklist the SYRCLE's risk of bias tool. Standard meta-analysis methods (random-effects models) were used.

RESULTS

there were four studies for the same species, dosage, duration of vancomycin administration and measurement only for serum creatine and blood urea nitrogen in rats. A statistically significant increase was observed between serum creatinine in the vancomycin group compared to controls (pooled p = 0.037; Standardized Mean Difference: 2.93; 95% CI: 0.17 to 5.69; I2 = 92.11%). Serum BUN levels were not significantly different between control and vancomycin groups (pooled p = 0.11; SMD: 3.05; 95% CI: 0.69 to 6.8; I2 = 94.84%). We did not identify experimental studies using metabolomic analyses in animals with VIKI.

CONCLUSIONS

a total of four studies in rodents only described outcomes of kidney injury as defined by blood biomarkers. Blood biomarkers represented included serum creatinine and BUN. Novel blood biomarkers have not been explored.