Using vancomycin concentrations for dosing daptomycin in a morbidly obese patient with renal insufficiency

To report a case in which vancomycin clearance was used to determine the daptomycin dosing interval in a morbidly obese patient with renal impairment.

A 46-year-old man (209 kg; 178 cm) failed a 42 day course of vancomycin therapy for treatment of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-infected wound and cellulitis. The median trough vancomycin concentration was 12.6 microg/mL (range 7.3-24.1) through his course of therapy. Estimation of creatinine clearance (Cl(cr)) was confounded in this clinical scenario, given the patient's weight and a lack of valid equations in this patient population. Daptomycin was administered empirically at 6 mg/kg dosed every 48 hours based on estimated clearance from measured vancomycin concentrations. Steady-state plasma concentrations of daptomycin were determined, and the daptomycin half-life in this patient was more accurately estimated using vancomycin clearance as a surrogate. In addition, a 4 mg/kg dose of daptomycin would have been sufficient based on plasma concentrations. The patient demonstrated rapid clinical improvement and remained free of cellulitis for 6 months after completion of daptomycin and a 12 week course of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

The dosing interval of daptomycin is adjusted based on Cl(cr). However, estimation of Cl(cr) is difficult in morbidly obese patients with renal impairment, given a lack of valid equations. In this clinical scenario, vancomycin concentrations were used to estimate Cl(cr) and served as a surrogate measure to determine the daptomycin dosing interval. Measured daptomycin concentrations validated this approach and confirmed the inadequacy of commonly used Cl(cr) equations.

In this clinical scenario, vancomycin concentrations more accurately estimated Cl(cr), thereby facilitating determination of the daptomycin dosing interval.