RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Detection of subclinical nephrotoxicity induced by aminoglycosides in critically ill elderly patients using trough levels and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin JF European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy JO Eur J Hosp Pharm FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group SP e63 OP e66 DO 10.1136/ejhpharm-2021-002868 VO 29 IS e1 A1 Kourosh Sadeghi A1 Bita Shahrami A1 Faezeh Hosseini Fani A1 Hadi Hamishehkar A1 Mojtaba Mojtahedzadeh YR 2022 UL http://ejhp.bmj.com/content/29/e1/e63.abstract AB Objectives Early detection of aminoglycoside-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is crucial in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, but it is not adequately reflected by serum creatinine (SrCr) levels. This study proposed investigating the relationship between amikacin trough levels and the development of nephrotoxicity using both conventional markers and a new biomarker of renal function in critically ill elderly patients.Methods Thirty-three critically ill patients aged ≥65 years with normal SrCr who received once-daily amikacin were evaluated. Trough levels of amikacin, creatinine clearance (CrCL) and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) were measured during the 10-day study period. The patients were divided into three groups and were compared based on the trough levels on both day 3 and day 7: <3 µg/mL (low trough (LT)), 3–6 µg/mL (moderate trough (MT)) and >6 µg/mL (high trough (HT)).Results In the LT group, neither CrCL nor uNGAL levels significantly changed from baseline (p=0.364 and p=0.562, respectively). In the MT group, the CrCL level altered significantly over time from baseline (p=0.007), but the uNGAL level did not change significantly over the study period (p=0.916). In the HT group, both CrCL and uNGAL levels significantly changed from baseline during the study period (p=0.002 and p=0.046, respectively).Conclusions In critically ill elderly patients with MT, the mean uNGAL level changed at least 4 days earlier than the SrCr level. Instead, the trough level of amikacin demonstrated a potential value for predicting subclinical AKI for implementing necessary interventions. Amikacin trough levels <3 µg/mL in the once-daily dosing regimen appeared safe, even in geriatric patients. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding.All data relevant to the study are included in the article.