Two Consecutive Preoperative Cardiac Arrests Involving Vancomycin in a Patient Presenting for Hip Disarticulation: A...

While an abundance of literature exists describing adverse reactions to vancomycin (eg, nausea, vomiting, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury), there is scarce evidence demonstrating vancomycin anaphylactic reactions requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We report a case of a patient who had 2 separate preoperative episodes of cardiac arrest following vancomycin that occurred 4 weeks apart. Both episodes of anaphylaxis required cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which led to a successful patient outcome. We discuss identification and treatment of vancomycin-induced anaphylaxis.