User:Mr. Ibrahem/Vancomycin

Vancomycin is an antibiotic used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It is recommended intravenously as a treatment for complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint infections, and meningitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Blood levels may be measured to determine the correct dose. Vancomycin is also recommended by mouth as a treatment for severe Clostridium difficile colitis. When taken by mouth it is very poorly absorbed.

Common side effects include pain in the area of injection and allergic reactions. Occasionally, hearing loss, low blood pressure, or bone marrow suppression occur. Safety in pregnancy is not clear, but no evidence of harm has been found, and it is likely safe for use when breastfeeding. It is a type of glycopeptide antibiotic and works by blocking the construction of a cell wall.

Vancomycin was first sold in 1954. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. The wholesale cost in the developing world of an intravenous dose is about US$1.70 to 6.00. In the United States, the capsules are more expensive than the intravenous solution. The intravenous solution may be safely taken by mouth for the treatment of C. difficile colitis to reduce costs. Vancomycin is made by the soil bacterium Amycolatopsis orientalis.