Case report of vancomycin-induced pancytopenia

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Sorab Gupta, Shorabh Sharma, Nandini Menon, Shradha Ahuja, Michelle Dahdouh
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2016
• Subjects: Vancomycin; Pancytopenia; Rare side effect; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0263-2015; https://doaj.org/article/5ff2aa78410e4e488d31729686df8606

Abstract: Vancomycin is the first-line agent for the treatment of bacteremia, endocarditis, pneumonia, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis. Pancytopenia is an uncommon adverse effect of vancomycin therapy, with only a few cases of vancomycin-related neutropenia and pancytopenia described in the literature. We describe a case of a 56-year-old man who was diagnosed with chronic paraspinal abscess and started on intravenous vancomycin. He was re-admitted two weeks later with new-onset pancytopenia. Discontinuation of vancomycin resulted in improved cell counts. Physicians should monitor cell counts in patients who are on long-term intravenous vancomycin.