Principles of vancomycin use in young infants and children

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic primarily used for empirical or directed treatment or prophylaxis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal species (eg Staphylococcus epidermidis) or Enterococcus faecium infection. It is inferior to beta-lactam antibiotics for the treatment of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). Vancomycin requires judicious use to limit the emergence of vancomycin resistance.

In these guidelines a young infant is defined as an infant aged 0 to 90 days and a child is defined as a child aged 3 months to 18 years old.

Advice on vancomycin use in young infants and children is included in the following topics:

• Vancomycin administration advice
• Vancomycin loading doses in young infants and children
• Intermittent vancomycin dosing in young infants and children
• Vancomycin continuous infusion dosing in young infants and children
• Vancomycin monitoring and dosage adjustment in young infants and children.