There is limited information regarding the use of daptomycin in the neonatal population, and dosage adjustments for neonates with renal dysfunction. We report on the successful use of daptomycin in a 1-month-old, former 24-week gestation neonate with persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) bacteremia and impaired renal function. We also review the available literature supporting daptomycin use in the neonatal period. Daptomycin peak and trough serum levels were obtained immediately prior to and 60 minutes after the fifth dose. While vancomycin remains the drug of choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal infections, due to increasing reports of treatment failures, alternative therapies are recommended. Based on mounting evidence, daptomycin may be considered an option in persistently bacteremic neonates who fail vancomycin therapy, although further investigation is warranted.
Keywords: Staphylococcus epidermidis; bacteremia; daptomycin; drug monitoring; neonate; pharmacokinetics.