Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40102293›Full record

ArticleClinical pharmacokinetics2025

Leveraging Clinical Data to Enhance the Performance Evaluation of Ceftriaxone Population Pharmacokinetic Models in Children.

Stef Schouwenburg, Tim Preijers, Alan Abdulla, Enno D Wildschut, Birgit C P Koch, Matthijs de Hoog

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical pharmacokinetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Stef SchouwenburgDepartment of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Postal Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. s.schouwenburg@erasmusmc.nl.ORCID 0000-0003-1835-0749
Tim PreijersDepartment of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Postal Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Alan AbdullaDepartment of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Postal Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2158-6376
Enno D WildschutDepartment of Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care, Division of Pediatric Intensive Care, Erasmus University Medical Centre-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0005-5197-2656
Birgit C P KochDepartment of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Postal Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-1202-3643
Matthijs de HoogDepartment of Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care, Division of Pediatric Intensive Care, Erasmus University Medical Centre-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-1259-581X

Funding

Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum Rotterdam Mrace Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionSepsis affects approximately 8% of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions in high-income countries. Ceftriaxone, a broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic, is widely used for treating severe infections and bacterial meningitis in children. Despite its frequent use, limited studies address the population pharmacokinetic (popPK) of ceftriaxone in pediatrics. External validation of popPK models is essential to confirm their suitability for individualized dosing in PICU patients, enabling selection of the model best suited to this population.

methodsThis study used data from the EXPAT Kids study, a prospective pharmacokinetics /pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) study. The included popPK models were implemented in NONMEM, with diagnostic goodness-of-fit and visual predictive check analyses performed to assess model accuracy. Predictive performance was evaluated using the relative prediction error, relative root mean square error, and mean (absolute) percentage error.

resultsThe predictive performance of the evaluated models varied widely. The included models showed only modest performance and generally seemed to overpredict ceftriaxone concentrations. Unbound ceftriaxone popPK models did not perform adequately. None of the models met all the predefined thresholds for accuracy and precision.

conclusionsOur external dataset comprised high ceftriaxone trough concentrations, indicating re-evaluation of current ceftriaxone dosing regimens to minimize the risk of overdosing and prevent toxicity. Future research should focus on the fine dosing balance for ceftriaxone, especially in patients with meningitis, by considering adequate exposure while preventing high trough concentrations. Model-informed precision dosing may enhance the use of the optimal individual dosage for critically ill children. However, our findings highlight the importance of externally evaluating ceftriaxone popPK models in the PICU population.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsCeftriaxoneModels, BiologicalAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantIntensive Care Units, PediatricMaleProspective StudiesSepsisAnti-Bacterial AgentsCeftriaxone

Identifiers

PMID40102293
PMCPMC12041135

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.