2. Methods

Respective literature was reviewed on Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases using the key search terms “vancomycin”, “therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)”, “nephrotoxicity”, “pharmacokinetics”, “pharmacodynamics”, “trough concentration”, “peak concentration”, “area under the curve (AUC)”, “critically ill patients”, “burn injuries”, “obese patients”, “cancer”, “renal failure”, “hepatic failure”, “organ transplantation”, “pregnancy”, and “lactation” from 1950 through December 2020. In doing so, titles and abstracts of the related articles were considered for further assessment, with review and original articles included. First, different pharmacokinetic parameters used in vancomycin TDM were discussed and reviewed. Then advantages, disadvantages as well as the clinical efficacy of those parameters were summarized. The focus of this review has been on one-compartmental models already used extensively in the clinical settings. Vancomycin TDM in patients with altered pharmacokinetics were reviewed and summarized, too. Last but not least, pharmacoeconomics and cost-effectiveness of vancomycin TDM were discussed.