Penetration of Vancomycin into the Cerebrospinal Fluid: A Systematic Review

Abstract

[...]many included studies estimated CSF penetration using a single set of simultaneous serum and CSF vancomycin concentrations. [...]this review relies on the assumption that study authors correctly diagnosed patients with meningitis or ventriculitis. [...]all included studies compared single-point CSF concentration with single-point serum concentration instead of comparing CSF AUC with serum AUC. While AUC is a much better marker of drug exposure, serial sampling is difficult, impractical, and often logistically unfeasible. [...]in practice, the CSF-to-serum ratio at steady state is commonly used to characterize drug penetration into the CSF [3].