Pharmacokinetics of linezolid for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia in an adult receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Purpose: We present a case of a 55-year-old man post right lung transplantation receiving ECMO for treatment of respiratory failure secondary to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia.

Summary: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a frequently utilized support therapy for patients with cardiac and/or respiratory failure. Dosing of medications during ECMO can be challenging due to several factors, including sequestration of medications within ECMO circuits, alterations in volume of distribution, and changes in drug clearance. The patient was initiated on empiric antibiotics, then switched to linezolid at a dose of 600 mg every 8 hours. Linezolid plasma concentrations were collected 30 minutes prior to the sixth administered dose and 30 minutes following the 1-hour infusion of the sixth dose, which resulted in values of 0.4 and 1.7 μg/mL, respectively. The ratio of 24-hour area under the curve (AUC0-24) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), assuming a MIC of 2 μg/mL, was calculated using the extrapolated maximum concentration (1.9 μg/mL) and minimum concentration (0.35 μg/mL), resulting in an AUC0-24/MIC value of 10.8. Due to subtherapeutic linezolid plasma concentrations, ceftaroline was initiated and continued for a total of 18 days. To our knowledge, this is the second report to describe inadequate plasma concentrations of linezolid during ECMO.

Conclusion: In the case described here, linezolid at a dose of 600 mg every 8 hours did not achieve target plasma concentrations in a patient receiving concomitant venovenous ECMO support.