Betalactam Pharmacokinetics in Endocarditis Patients

Infectious endocarditis (IE) is associated with mortality rates of 10-12%. Adequate antibiotic therapy is crucial for survival and is administered in high doses due to the severity of the disease. In most cases, beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g. ampicillin, penicillin G, cefotaxime or cloxacillin) are employed. A number of patient characteristics, such as age, body weight, and renal function) influence the pharmacokinetics of these drugs. Yet, the interindividual variability is poorly understood meaning that a large proportion of patients are at risk of subtherapeutic or excessive drug concentrations that might result in treatment failure or side effects, respectively. In the present study, data will be collected on antibiotic concentrations in patients treated with beta-lactams for infectious endocarditis as well as patient characteristics and treatment outcomes. A mathematical model will