Optimizing the Initial Amikacin Dosage in Adults

We report on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of high-dose (>15 mg/kg of body weight per day) amikacin. A mean (standard deviation [SD]) maximum drug concentration in the serum (C-max) and 24-h area under the concentration- time curve (AUC(24)) of 101 (49.4) mg/liter and 600 (387) mg.h/liter, respectively, were observed (n = 73) with 28.0 (8.47) mg/kg/day doses. An initial amikacin dose of 2,500 mg in adults weighing 40 kg to 200 kg with therapeutic drug monitoring to adjust the maintenance dose will optimize its PK and PD.