Orsa Dosage/Direction for Use

Vancomycin powder for solution for infusion must be administered intravenously. Each dose should be administered at a rate not exceeding 10 mg/min or over a period of time of at least 60 minutes (whichever is longer).
The dose should be individually adapted according to weight, age and renal function.
The following dosage regimens are recommended: Patients with normal renal function: Adults and adolescents above 12 years of age: The recommended daily intravenous dose is 2000 mg, divided into doses of 500 mg every 6 hours or 1000 mg every 12 hours.
For bacterial endocarditis, the generally accepted regimen is 1000 mg vancomycin intravenously every 12 hours for 4 weeks either alone or in combination with other antibiotics (gentamicin plus rifampin, gentamicin, streptomycin). Enterococcal endocarditis is treated for 6 weeks with vancomycin in combination with an aminoglycoside - according to national recommendations.
Peri-operative prophylaxis against bacterial endocarditis: Adults receive 1000 mg vancomycin intravenously prior to surgery (prior to induction of anaesthesia) and depending on time and type of surgery, the dose of 1000 mg of vancomycin i.v. 12 hours postoperatively can be given.
Children one month to 12 years of age: The recommended intravenous dose is 10 mg/kg, every 6 hours or 20 mg/kg every 12 hours.
Infants and newborns: The recommended initial dose is 15 mg/kg, followed by 10 mg/kg every 12 hours during the first week of life and every 8 hours after that age and up to 1 month of age. Careful monitoring of serum concentration of vancomycin is recommended (see as follows).
Elderly patients: Lower maintenance doses may be required due to the age-related reduction in renal function.
Obese patients: Modification of the usual daily doses may be required.
Patients with hepatic insufficiency: There is no evidence that the dose has to be reduced in patients with hepatic insufficiency.
Patients with impaired renal function: The dose must be adjusted in patients with impaired renal function. Careful monitoring of serum concentration of vancomycin is recommended.
In patients with mild or moderate renal failure, the starting dose must not be less than 15 mg/kg. In patients with severe renal failure, it is preferable to administer a maintenance dose between 250 mg and 1000 mg at a spacing of several days rather than administer lower daily doses.
Patients with anuria (with practically no renal function) should receive a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight until the therapeutic serum concentration is reached. The maintenance doses are 1.9 mg/kg body weight per 24 hours. In order to facilitate the procedure, adult patients with strongly impaired renal function may obtain a maintenance dose of 250-1000 mg at intervals of several days instead of a daily dose.
Dosage in case of haemodialysis: For patients without any renal function, even under regular hemodialysis, the following dosage is also possible: Saturating dose 1000 mg, maintenance dose 1000 mg every 7-10 days.
If polysulfone membranes are used in haemodialysis (high flux dialysis), the half-life of vancomycin is reduced. An additional maintenance dose may be necessary in patients on regular haemodialysis.
Monitoring of vancomycin serum concentrations: The serum concentration of vancomycin should be monitored at the second day of treatment immediately prior to the next dose, and one hour post infusion. Therapeutic vancomycin blood levels should be between 30 and 40 mg/l (maximum 50 mg/l) one hour after the end of the infusion, the minimum level (short prior to the next administration) between 5 and 10 mg/l.
The concentrations should normally be monitored twice or three times per week.
Method of administration: Parenterally vancomycin shall only be administered as slow intravenous infusion (not more than 10 mg/min - over at least 60 min) which is sufficiently diluted (at least 100 ml per 500 mg or at least 200 ml per 1000 mg).
Patients requiring fluid restriction can receive a solution of 500 mg/50 ml or 1000 mg/100 ml. With these higher concentrations the risk for infusion related side effects can be increased.
Duration of treatment: The duration of the treatment depends on the severity of the infection as well as on the clinical and bacteriological progress.