Applicability of vancomycin, meropenem, and linezolid in capillary microsamples vs. dried blood spots: A pilot study for microsampling in critically ill children
Xiaoyong et al.
The finding, in our words
This pilot study validated a microsampling platform for therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin, meropenem, and linezolid in critically ill children. Dried blood spots and capillary microsamples correlated strongly (r=0.98), showed acceptable accuracy and precision, and remained stable at room temperature for at least two days (DBS) and eight hours (CMS), enabling personalised antimicrobial dosing in a decentralised setting.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
A validated high-throughput LC-MS/MS assay for piperaquine from dried blood spots achieved 54-72% recovery with <9% relative standard deviation and a quantification limit of 3 ng/mL, enabling detection for 4-8 weeks post-dose. The method showed minimal haematocrit interference and is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of antimalarial treatment in resource-limited settings and pediatric populations.
Blessborn et al., Journal of mass spectrometry and advances in the clinical lab · source ↗
The study developed and validated a rapid LC-MS/MS method for quantifying cefazolin in capillary whole blood collected via VAMS, plasma, and plasma ultrafiltrate, showing robust performance across matrices and successful application in a pediatric pilot cohort for therapeutic drug monitoring.
Kocur et al., Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry (paywalled) · source ↗
A 2025 review maps 28 microsampling devices, from dried spots and volumetric absorptive tips to upper-arm liquid capillary collectors, and names what a laboratory must control before their results are used: the haematocrit effect in non-volumetric dried samples, interstitial fluid from finger milking, volume, haemolysis and transport stability. Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic ask for the same two things, a device the patient can use safely and a sample fit for the test.
The authors validated a UPLC-PDA assay for ceftazidime in 10 microlitre dried blood spots collected with the Capitainer device from neonatal patients, achieving accuracy of 90.1 to 104.8 per cent and precision within 11.7 per cent coefficient of variation across a quantification range of 0.5 to 200 micrograms per millilitre, and confirmed the method worked on clinical neonatal samples. This supports microsampling-based therapeutic drug monitoring of an antimicrobial in a vulnerable population where conventional venous blood draws are difficult.
Lv et al., Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis (paywalled) · source ↗
This narrative review evaluates microsampling devices for therapeutic drug monitoring, concluding that techniques such as volumetric absorptive microsampling and dried blood spots offer reliable, less invasive alternatives to venous sampling when paired with high-sensitivity mass spectrometry, which supports implementation in routine clinical practice.