Reducing the Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury from Vancomycin & Pip/Tazo

​Megan Luther, PharmD, Advanced Health Services research fellow, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy, discusses potential strategies to reduce incidence of acute kidney injuries due to vancomycin and pip/tazo combination therapy.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“I think from a basic [scientific] standpoint we need to figure out what exactly the mechanism is, why [the combination of vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam] causes more acute kidney injury than either of the two components alone. We’re back to the bench, basically, to figure out what exactly that mechanism is.

From a clinical standpoint, I think [we need to make] sure that we have antimicrobial stewardship teams looking at and narrowing therapy before day 4 to 7 and [make] sure that we can decrease the acute kidney injury incidence and get stewardship teams on board.”