Normal range 10-20 µg/mL (7-14 µmol/L SI). Specimen: Serum (trough, just before next dose).
Also known as: vanco trough.
10-20 µg/mLToxicity threshold: read below
Reference range
Conventionalµg/mL
1020
SIµmol/L
714
Combined adult band. LabVals does not publish separate men's, women's, or pediatric ranges for Vancomycin Trough; those can be narrower than the band shown.
Vancomycin Trough reference range, specimen, and conversion details
Convert any Vancomycin Trough result between units on the unit converter.
What is the normal range for Vancomycin Trough?
The standard teaching reference range for Vancomycin Trough is 10-20 µg/mL in conventional units, or 7-14 µmol/L in SI units. This value is measured in serum (trough, just before next dose).
What toxicity threshold is taught for Vancomycin Trough?
For Vancomycin Trough, the commonly taught toxicity threshold is: > 20 µg/mL raises nephrotoxicity risk.
Source: Adult reference values compiled from Pagana & Pagana, Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference, and Fischbach & Dunning, A Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. Reference ranges vary by laboratory, method, age, sex, and population - always use the range printed on the actual result.
Monitor renal function; serious infections often target a trough of 15-20 (or AUC-guided dosing).
Trough-only monitoring is the older standard. The 2020 ASHP/IDSA/PIDS/SIDP revised consensus guideline recommends AUC/MIC-guided dosing (AUC/MIC 400-600 mg·h/L at an assumed MIC of 1 mg/L) for serious MRSA infection, and advises against targeting troughs of 15-20 µg/mL, which raise nephrotoxicity risk without added benefit. The 10-20 µg/mL band is retained because nursing references still teach it - follow your facility's protocol, which is increasingly AUC-based.
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