Effect of concomitant vancomycin and piperacillin–tazobactam on frequency of acute kidney injury in pediatric patients

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Results of a study of rates of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pediatric patients treated with vancomycin plus piperacillin–tazobactam or vancomycin plus alternative antipseudomonal β-lactams (APBLs) are reported. Methods A retrospective, single-center cohort study was performed. Pediatric patients were included in the study cohort if they received combination therapy for at least 48 hours, had documented baseline and follow-up serum creatinine levels, and had a documented serum vancomycin trough concentration. The primary outcome was the frequency of AKI, defined as a 50% or greater increase in serum creatinine concentration from baseline or an increase of at least 0.5 mg/dL from baseline. The secondary outcome was time to AKI onset. Results A total of 474 patients were included. Among 100 patients who received vancomycin plus piperacillin–tazobactam, the rate of AKI was higher than the rate in the group treated with vancomycin plus alternative APBLs (27% versus 7%, p < 0.0001). The median time to AKI onset was shorter in the piperacillin–tazobactam group versus the alternative APBL group (3.8 versus 7.9 days, p = 0.0065). Patients who were administered piperacillin–tazobactam were almost 6 times as likely to develop AKI (odds ratio [OR], 5.955; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.774–12.784), and patients who had a maximum vancomycin trough concentration greater than 20 mg/L were 7.5 times as likely to develop AKI (OR, 7.552; 95% CI, 3.625–15.734). Conclusion Pediatric patients treated with concomitant vancomycin and piperacillin–tazobactam had a higher rate of AKI, with faster AKI onset, than those who received vancomycin in combination with other APBLs.