Re-exposure causing rapid onset of vancomycin induced thrombocytopenia

Abstract

Vancomycin is used for the treatment of gram-positive infections. The increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus since the 1980 s has led to a significant increase in the clinical utility of vancomycin in the United States. The diagnosis of vancomycin induced thrombocytopenia (VIT) poses a challenge since it requires the exclusion of other etiologies of thrombocytopenia, such as infectious or immunologic diseases and alternative drugs. Physicians should be aware that VIT is a rare but important complication of IV vancomycin therapy and failure to recognize this diagnosis may lead to a delay in discontinuation of vancomycin and serious complications

Keywords

• Vancomycin
• Vancomycin induced thrombocytopenia
• Thrombocytopenia
• Re-exposure
• Drug rash
• Rapid onset