Safety of vancomycin in acute porphyria

A 27-year-old female with acute intermittent porphyria presented in a life-threatening acute attack. She developed a Staphylococcus aureus septicaemia and was treated with intravenous vancomycin for 4 weeks. Porphyrins and their precursors were monitored and declined during the course of therapy. The safety of vancomycin in people with the acute porphyrias has not previously been documented, and we conclude that, in this case, the use of vancomycin was without ill-effect.