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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses
11:17

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses

Published on: August 30, 2018

Quantifying antibiotic use in paediatrics: a proposal for neonatal DDDs

T B Y Liem1, E R Heerdink, A C G Egberts

  • 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Room Ke.03.136.0, 3584 EA Utrecht, The Netherlands. y.liem@umcutrecht.nl

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases : Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
|June 18, 2010
PubMed

Insights

The World Health Organization

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal pharmacology
  • Antibiotic stewardship
  • Pediatric pharmacokinetics

Background:

  • The World Health Organization's Defined Daily Dose (DDD) is a standard metric for antibiotic consumption.
  • Standard DDD methodology is unsuitable for pediatric populations due to significant body weight variations.
  • Accurate measurement of antibiotic use in neonates is crucial for effective antimicrobial stewardship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a specific set of neonatal Defined Daily Doses (DDD) for antibiotics.
  • To establish a reliable unit for measuring antibiotic utilization in neonatal intensive care units.

Main Methods:

  • Consulted eight international and national sources for neonatal antibiotic dosage recommendations.
  • Focused on the ten most frequently used antibiotics in neonatal intensive care units.
  • Calculated neonatal DDDs based on an assumed neonatal weight of 2 kg.

Main Results:

  • A novel set of neonatal DDDs was proposed for ten common neonatal antibiotics.
  • This new metric accounts for the narrow weight range typical of the neonatal population.

Conclusions:

  • Neonatal DDDs offer a viable alternative for quantifying antibiotic use in neonates when patient-level data is unavailable.
  • This approach addresses the limitations of standard DDDs in pediatric populations, particularly neonates.
  • Implementation of neonatal DDDs can enhance antibiotic stewardship in neonatal care.

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