Systemic tobramycin concentrations during selective decontamination of the digestive tract in intensive care unit patients on continuous venovenous hemofiltration.

OBJECTIVE

To study whether selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) results in detectable serum tobramycin concentrations in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with acute renal failure treated with continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH).

DESIGN AND

SETTING

Prospective, observational, single-center study in a mixed medical-surgical ICU.

PATIENTS: Adult ICU patients receiving SDD for at least 3 days and being treated with CVVH because of acute renal failure.

MEASUREMENTS AND

RESULTS

Tobramycin serum concentrations were measured at the 3rd day after start of CVVH and every 3 days thereafter. Detectable serum concentrations of tobramycin were found in 12 (63%) of 19 patients and in 15 (58%) of the 26 samples. With a toxic tobramycin concentration defined as more than 2.0 mg/l, we found one patient with a toxic concentration of 3.0 mg/l. In three other patients tobramycin concentrations of >or=1.0 mg/l were found.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with acute renal failure treated with CVVH, administration of SDD with tobramycin can lead to detectable and potentially toxic serum tobramycin concentrations.