Intrathecal and/or Intraventricular Doses

Adapted from Clin Microbiol Rev 2010; 23:858-83 and Clin Infect Dis 2017;64:e34-65.

 

- Recommend Infectious Diseases consult.

- Antimicrobial agents administered by intrathecal or intraventricular route should be preservative free.

- When antimicrobial therapy is administered via an intraventricular drain, clamp the drain for 15–60 minutes to allow the agent to equilibrate throughout the CSF.

- Penicillins and cephalosporins should NOT be given by the intrathecal route as they have been associated with significant neurotoxicity, especially seizures.

 

Drug Doses Reported severe adverse effects

Amikacin

Intrathecal/intraventricular:

Adults: 20-30mg q24h

Transient hearing loss, seizures, aseptic meningitis, and eosinophilic CSF pleocytosis.

Amphotericin B

Intrathecal:

Neonates/children:

0.025-0.1mg q48-72h. May increase to 0.5mg as tolerated.

Adults:

0.2-0.5mg q24-48h

 

Colistin

Intrathecal/intraventricular:

Adults: 5-20mg colistin base/day, in 1 or 2 divided doses. NB: 5-20mg colistin base/day = 13.3-53.4mg colistimethate sodium (CMS)/kg/day. Each vial contains 150mg colistin base or 400mg CMS.

Meningeal inflammation. High doses can cause seizures, anorexia, agitation, eosinophilia, edema, pain, and albuminuria.

Daptomycin

Intraventricular:

Adults: 5-10mg q72h

Fever

Gentamicin

Intrathecal/intraventricular:

Newborns: 1mg q24h

More than 3 months old: 1-2mg q24h

Adults: 5-10mg q24h

Transient hearing loss, seizures, aseptic meningitis, and eosinophilic CSF pleocytosis.

Streptomycin

Intraventricular:

Adults: Up to 1mg/kg q24-48h

Transient hearing loss, seizures, radiculitis, transverse myelitis, arachnoiditis, and paraplegia

Tobramycin

Intrathecal/intraventricular:

Adults: 5-10mg q24h

Transient hearing loss, seizures, aseptic meningitis, and eosinophilic CSF pleocytosis.

Vancomycin

Intrathecal/intraventricular:

Pediatrics: 5-10mg q24h

Adults: 10-20mg q24h

Transient hearing loss.