Vancomycin

Description

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic medication created by the soil bacterium Amycolatopsis orientalis. It is used to treat certain bacterial infections, including complicated skin or lower respiratory infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint infections, and meningitis. It may be given by mouth but is poorly absorbed.

Indications

• infection by aerobic or anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria, particularly when unresponsive to other antibiotics
• treatment of infections in individuals with serious allergy to penicillins or beta-lactam antimicrobials
• antibacterial prophylaxis for endocarditis after certain procedures
• surgical prophylaxis for major procedures involving implantation of prostheses where the risk of infection is high
• last-resort treatment of sepsis.

Antibiogram

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Gram-positive
Microbe	Effectiveness
Staphylococcus aureus	Yes
Staphylococcus lugdunensis	Yes
Staphylococcus epidermidis	Yes
Streptococci	Yes
Enterococcus	Yes
Viridans group Streptococcus	Yes
Listeria	No
Gram-negative
Microbe	Effectiveness
Achromobacter	No
Acinetobacter	No
Citrobacter	No
Enterobacter	No
E. Coli	No
Klebsiella	No
Morganella	No
Proteus	No
Pseudomonas	No
Salmonella	No

Administration routes

• Oral
• Intravenous (IV)

Side effects

• tinnitus
• dizziness
• rash
• hypotension
• abnormalities in blood composition, including low platelets and low white blood cells
• bone marrow suppression

When given orally:

• gastrointestinal distress (abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea)
• distorted sense of taste

When given intravenously:

• pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site
• phlebitis

Rare but serious side effects include:

• anaphylaxis
• co-infection
• toxic epidermal necrolysis
• ototoxicity and hearing loss
• acute kidney injury

Most IV side effects can be avoided or reduced by slow infusion rather than bolus administration.

Dosage

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Available forms

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Pharmacokinetics

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Interactions

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