Oral vancomycin desensitisation to treat Clostridium difficile infection in a vancomycin allergic patient

Abstract

The prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasing worldwide. Oral vancomycin is an effective and frequently used treatment. However, patients with CDI who are allergic to intravenous vancomycin cannot receive oral vancomycin due to the risk of anaphylaxis if given the oral form.We present a case where oral vancomycin desensitisation was used to successfully treat a vancomycin allergic patient with recurrent CDI. Keywords: Allergy, Anaphylaxis, Desensitisation, Vancomycin, Clostridium difficile