CEFrAZIDIME DOSING IN THEELDERLY: ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the prevalence and resulting costs of ceftazidime dosing in excess of product labeling recommenda-tions in elderly hospitalized patients. Ceftazidime is a beta-lactam antibiotic excreted via glomerular filtration. According to product labeling, ceftazidime dosing can frequently be decreased in the elderly because glomerular filtration declines with age. METHODOLOGY: A multicenter, retrospective utilization audit involving 11 US academic medical centers examined 221 medical records of patients 65 years of age or older receiving ceftazidime (any brand, any indication). The creatinine clearance of each patient was estimated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. RESULTS: Renal insufficiency, defined as an estimated creatinine clearance of less than 50 mL/min, was present in 111 of the patients (50 percent). Ceftazidime dosing in excess of product labeling recommendations was noted in 75 of those 111 (68 percent). Th