Patient was educated on the side effects of using Vancocin as follows:
- Opportunistic fungal infections
- The friendly normal flora residing in the human body help prevent growth of opportunistic infections.
- Vancocin by destroying the normal flora, tips the balance in favor of opportunistic infections.
- So, long term use of Vancocin carries a risk of opportunistic fungal infections, such as, thrush and yeast infections.
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- A rare, but serious complication of Vancocin use is cardiac arrest.
- Individuals with history of chronic disturbance in serum magnesium and potassium ions are also at increased risk for arrhythmias with Vancocin.
- Also, individuals taking Lasix are at increased risk for losing potassium, thus setting the ground for life-threatening arrhythmias.
- Neuropathy
- Vancocin intake in high doses can lead to reversible hearing loss.
- Sometimes, the damage can be severe causing the hearing loss to be permanent.
- Normal therapeutic doses of Vancocin in individuals with compromised renal function can lead to incomplete elimination of Vancocin and elevated drug levels for longer duration, thus precipitating ototoxicity and hearing loss.
