Clinical pharmacology of teicoplanin in infants and children

Teicoplanin is a glycopeptide and is a mixture of related glycopeptides. Teicoplanin inhibits the synthesis of the cell wall in sensitive bacteria by binding with high affinity to the D-alanyl-D-alanine terminus of cell wall precursor units. Because of its large molecular size, teicoplanin is unable to penetrate the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. The intravenous dosage of teicoplanin consists in a loading dose of 16 mg/kg followed by a maintenance dose of 8 mg/kg once-daily to infants aged < one month and in older infants the dosage of teicoplanin consists in a loading dose of 12 mg/kg twice-daily followed by a maintenance dose of 10 mg/kg once daily. In children, the oral dose is 100 to 200 mg twice-daily and the intravenous dosage consists in 12 mg/kg twice-daily followed by 12 mg/kg once-daily. Teicoplanin has been found efficacy and safe in infants and children. The elimination half-life of teicoplanin is 73.9 hours in infants and children and teicoplanin is cleared from the body by renal and extra-renal routes. The total body clearance of teicoplanin is 0.09 L/h in children aged < 12 months and 0.29 L/h in older children. The treatment and the prophylaxis with teicoplanin have been described in infants and children. Teicoplanin administered intravenously and/or intraventricularly treats the cerebral infections caused by staphylococci and enterococci. The aim of this study is to review the published data on teicoplanin dosing, efficacy and safety, pharmacokinetics, drug-interactions, treatment, prophylaxis, and penetrates into the cerebrospinal fluid in infants and children.