Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Patients Treated with Vancomycin and Piperacillin-Tazobactam Versus Vancomycin and Cefotaxime: A Single-center Study

Background Previous literature showed a higher incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pediatric patients using vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam compared to cefepime + vancomycin. Our aim was to compare the incidence of developing AKI during the use of vancomycin + cefotaxime with that during the use of vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam in pediatric patients. Methods This was a retrospective, matched cohort study that used electronic records from May 1, 2015 through April 30, 2018 for all patients aged less than 16 years who received intravenous (IV) vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam or cefotaxime + vancomycin for at least 72 hours. AKI was defined by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines. Each patient from the vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam group was matched 1:1 with those in the vancomycin + cefotaxime group according to their age, chronic disease, gender, and the number of concomitant nephrotoxic agents. A total of 64 cases were included. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Results AKI developed in 10 of 32 patients (31.25%) who were using vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam. On the other hand, 13 of 32 patients (40.62%) were using cefotaxime + vancomycin (p = 0.047). Of the 10 patients who were on vancomycin + piperacillin-tazobactam regimen, 80% developed AKI Stage I. Of the 13 patients who were using cefotaxime + vancomycin, 46% developed AKI Stage II, although no statistical significance was noted in all stages. Conclusion Our study showed that patients treated with cefotaxime and vancomycin showed a higher incidence of AKI than patients treated with vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam, although the study showed no statistical significance.