Vancomycin is an injectable antibiotic used in the hospital to treat serious infections by some types of bacteria, especially in the bones, lungs, skin, muscles and heart. Thus, this medication can be indicated by the doctor to treat various health problems, such as endocarditis, pneumonia or osteomyelitis.
Vancomycin can also be known as Celovan, Novamicin, Vancotrat, Vancocid or Vancoson, for example, and is only sold as a powder to prepare injectable solutions.
Price
Vancomycin is a type of antibiotic only used in the hospital and, therefore, cannot be purchased in conventional pharmacies.
How to use
Vancomycin should only be administered at the hospital by a health professional, according to the instructions of the doctor who is guiding the treatment.
In most cases, the recommended dose is:
- Adults and children over 12 years: 500 mg of Vancomycin every 6 hours or 1 g every 12 hours. Children from 1 month to 12 years of age: 10 mg of Vancomycin per kg of body weight every 6 hours or 20 mg per kg of body weight every 12 hours.
This medicine should be applied as an infusion injection lasting approximately 60 minutes to avoid red man's syndrome. Learn more about this complication.
Possible side effects
The most common side effects include low blood pressure, shortness of breath, redness at the injection site, allergic skin reaction, redness of the body and face pain, temporary hearing loss, tinnitus, nausea, muscle pain and fever.
Pain and inflammation in the vein; rashes on the skin; chills; fever. When the medicine is infused less than 1 hour, red man syndrome can appear, a serious change that can endanger the individual's life. Check out the signs and symptoms and how this syndrome is treated by clicking here.
Who should not use
Vancomycin is contraindicated for people with allergy to the drug and, in addition, it should be used only with medical indication in pregnant women, breastfeeding women, patients over 60 years old or with kidney or hearing problems.
