Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Quantification of the Immunosuppressant Tacrolimus on Dried Blood Spots Using LC-MS/MS
08:38

Quantification of the Immunosuppressant Tacrolimus on Dried Blood Spots Using LC-MS/MS

Published on: November 8, 2015

17.5K

Posaconazole Plasma Monitoring in Immunocompromised Children

Jessica McMahon1, Yves Théorêt2,3,4, Julie Autmizguine2,3,4,5

  • 1Department of Pharmacy.

Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
|February 11, 2017
PubMed

Insights

This study assessed posaconazole levels in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Higher doses may be necessary for high-risk children to reach effective antifungal concentrations.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Pediatric Hematology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Posaconazole is a key antifungal agent used in immunocompromised patients.
  • Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients are at high risk for invasive fungal infections.
  • Optimizing posaconazole exposure is crucial for effective prophylaxis and treatment in pediatric HSCT.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate plasma posaconazole concentrations in pediatric patients undergoing HSCT.
  • To determine the proportion of patients achieving target therapeutic drug concentrations.
  • To inform potential dosage adjustments for improved outcomes in high-risk pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective assessment of plasma posaconazole levels in 13 pediatric HSCT patients.
  • Median posaconazole dosage administered: 12.5 mg/kg/day, divided into three doses.
  • Analysis of achievement of target concentrations (0.7 mg/L and 1.25 mg/L).

Main Results:

  • 46.2% of patients achieved posaconazole concentrations > 0.7 mg/L.
  • 30.8% of patients achieved concentrations > 1.25 mg/L.
  • Suboptimal concentrations were observed in a significant portion of the pediatric cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Current posaconazole dosing may be insufficient for some pediatric HSCT patients.
  • Higher dosages may be required in high-risk pediatric populations to achieve therapeutic targets.
  • Further studies are warranted to optimize posaconazole dosing strategies in pediatric HSCT.

Keywords:
childrenmonitoringposaconazole

More Related Videos

Live Imaging of Antifungal Activity by Human Primary Neutrophils and Monocytes in Response to A. fumigatus12:29

Live Imaging of Antifungal Activity by Human Primary Neutrophils and Monocytes in Response to A. fumigatus

Published on: April 19, 2017

10.7K
A Soluble Tetrazolium-Based Reduction Assay to Evaluate the Effect of Antibodies on Candida tropicalis Biofilms06:50

A Soluble Tetrazolium-Based Reduction Assay to Evaluate the Effect of Antibodies on Candida tropicalis Biofilms

Published on: September 16, 2022

3.7K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
343
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
304
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
583
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
405
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
625
Dosage Regimens: Partial Pharmacokinetic Parameters01:01

Dosage Regimens: Partial Pharmacokinetic Parameters

It is not uncommon for complete drug pharmacokinetic profiles to remain elusive in pharmacokinetics. This necessitates certain educated assumptions by pharmacokineticists to determine appropriate dosage regimens without comprehensive pharmacokinetic data from animal or human studies. One prevalent assumption is setting the bioavailability factor, denoted as F, to 1 or 100%. This assumption caters to the scenario where a drug doesn't achieve full systemic absorption, resulting in the patient...
242