Guidance on Antimicrobial Therapeutic Ranges and Critical Values
Download the full guide as a printable PDF.
This PDF document summarizes our findings for antimicrobial therapeutic ranges and critical values from hospitals within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), in collaboration with the respective Pharmacy/Infectious Disease departments. The intention of this document is to act as a guide and/or reference for clinical laboratories with respect to reporting levels of antimicrobial drugs that require therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM).
Executive summary
Assays for common antimicrobials requiring TDM are not analytically equivalent and this must be considered when attempting to use harmonized therapeutic ranges and/or critical values.
- Therapeutic ranges used for vancomycin and aminoglycosides are generally similar across institutions, especially for interpretation of trough samples.
- It is still important to consider other factors when interpreting levels in blood such as: severity of infection, dosing strategy, or specific patient population.
- Currently, only two laboratories in the GTA offer voriconazole testing so therapeutic ranges and critical values are all harmonized.
- Consider incorporating quality assurance practices specific to TDM antimicrobial assays to ensure delivery of high-quality service.
See the full PDF guide for details.
Authors / contact
Compiled by the task force on Critical Values
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