Rapid-Onset Vancomycin-Induced Thrombocytopenia With Reexposure

A 10-year retrospective study of antibacterial-induced thrombocytopenia in a women and children hospital using China Hospital Pharmacovigilance System and Visual Basic for Applications

AIMS

We aimed to investigate antibacterial-induced thrombocytopenia using the China Hospital Pharmacovigilance System (CHPS) in conjunction with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

METHODS

Between September 2011 and December 2022, a 2-phase workflow was employed to identify antibacterial-induced thrombocytopenia, including preliminary screening in phase (I) conducted by CHPS algorithms and causality assessment by trained pharmacists in phase (II) using VBA. The incidence of thrombocytopenia in each antibacterial was calculated, and comparisons were performed between paediatric and adult patients.

RESULTS

CHPS algorithms identified 4080 cases from 485 238 admissions (including 223 735 admissions receiving at least 1 antibacterial treatment). After ruling out cases with chemotherapy and abnormal platelet count at admission, 3832 cases were available. Using VBA, pharmacists identified 1039 cases (1246 antibacterial treatments, 28 agents) as potential thrombocytopenia instances (κ = 0.89), with an incidence of 0.46%. All antibacterial treatments correlated temporally with thrombocytopenia. Carbapenems (meropenem 1.77%), glycopeptides (vancomycin 1.55%) and lincosamides (clindamycin 0.44%) were prominent causal groups. The highest incidences of thrombocytopenia in the cephalosporins and penicillins groups were ceftazidime (2.04%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (1.24%), respectively. Among all antibacterial treatments, clindamycin showed the shortest time to onset (TTO), and erythromycin showed the longest TTO. Paediatric patients exhibited a longer TTO (61 vs. 29 h), extended time to nadir (83 vs. 37 h), lower platelet nadir count values (110 vs. 92 × 109/L), and a higher severe case proportion (12.37 vs. 3.86%) when compared with adults.

CONCLUSION

Different antibacterial agents exhibit varying incidences of thrombocytopenia, with notable disparities between adults and children in the characteristics of thrombocytopenia.

Bleeding Complications in Vancomycin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: A Real-world Postmarketing Pharmacovigilance Analysis

PURPOSE

Vancomycin and linezolid are first-line drugs used for the prophylaxis and treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Vancomycin is well known as the best alternative drug when linezolid-induced thrombocytopenia occurs. However, several cases with vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia, especially with bleeding complications, have been reported recently, which has attracted attention. The objective of this study is to assess the potential relevance between vancomycin and bleeding complications in thrombocytopenia.

METHODS

This is a real-world pharmacovigilance study conducted in October 2022 using the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. We performed a disproportional analysis to assess the risk of bleeding complications in vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia by calculating reporting odds ratios (RORs) and information components (ICs), with a weak signal defined as a lower limit of the IC 95% CI of 0 to 1.5, a middle signal defined as a lower limit of the IC 95% CI of 1.5 to 3.0, and a strong signal defined as a lower limit of the IC 95% CI of >3.0.

FINDINGS

There were 21,854 cases in the FAERS database that listed vancomycin as a suspected drug from quarter 1 of 2004 to quarter 2 of 2022. There were 800 cases of vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia and 125 cases of bleeding complications in vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia. Teicoplanin, tigecycline, and vancomycin (3 middle signals) were sequentially less associated with thrombocytopenia than linezolid (strong signal). However, bleeding complications in thrombocytopenia were significant associated with vancomycin (ROR = 9.641; 95% CI, 8.105-11.468; IC = 3.184; 95% CI, 2.929-3.440 [middle signal]), followed by linezolid (ROR = 9.350; 95% CI, 7.318-11.947; IC = 3.106; 95% CI, 2.745-3.466 [middle signal]), teicoplanin (ROR = 6.399; 95% CI, 2.869-14.272; IC = 2.059; 95% CI, 0.881-3.283 [weak signal]), and daptomycin (ROR = 2.784; 95% CI, 1.496-5.180; IC = 1.287; 95% CI, 0.374-2.201 [weak signal]). Tigecycline and daptomycin were the least likely anti-MRSA drug to cause thrombocytopenia (middle signal and weak signal, respectively) and bleeding complications in thrombocytopenia (no signal and weak signal, respectively). Middle signals of bleeding complication in vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia were found in all group except those <45 to ≥80 years of age (weak signal).

IMPLICATIONS

Bleeding complications in thrombocytopenia were significantly associated with vancomycin use, and the risk was highest among all the anti-MRSA drugs. Physicians should be aware of this possible serious adverse reaction.

Rapid onset vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia confirmed by vancomycin antibody test

We report a case of vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia (VIT) with rapid onset after re-exposure to vancomycin. A 58-year-old man with cellulitis was initiated on vancomycin. Approximately 1 hour into the vancomycin infusion, the patient developed an infusion-related reaction. Vancomycin infusion was stopped. A complete blood count obtained 4 hours after discontinuation of the vancomycin infusion revealed a platelet count of 31 ×10-⁹/L. Investigations ruled out likely causes of thrombocytopenia. VIT was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and confirmed with drug-dependent platelet antibody testing. Without complications, platelet counts recovered within 7 days after discontinuation of vancomycin. No correlation between vancomycin level and VIT was observed.

Neutropenia, Thrombocytopenia, and Eosinophilia: An Unusual Triad in a Patient on Long-Term Vancomycin Therapy

Patient: Female, 46-year-old

Final Diagnosis: Adverse drug reaction • epidural abscess

Symptoms: Eosinophilia • neutropenia • thrombocytopenia

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: —

Specialty: General and Internal Medicine

Vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia in endocarditis: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Thrombocytopenia is a serious complication in the medical practice of numerous drugs. Vancomycin is frequently used for the prophylaxis and treatment of suspected or identified methicillin-resistant positive infections. Several cases with vancomycin-induced thrombocytopenia (VIT) have been reported. However, these have rarely been extensively reviewed. The present report describes a case of VIT in endocarditis, and reviews all VIT cases reported in the literature.

CASE SUMMARY

A 26-year-old male diagnosed with infective endocarditis was admitted. The patient was treated with multiple drugs, including vancomycin, which was initially intravenously given at 1000 mg every 12 h and subsequently at 500 mg every 8 h on day 3. On day 11, the platelet count decreased to 51 × 10⁹/L, vancomycin was switched to 500 mg every 12 h, and platelet transfusion was given. On day 17, the platelet count dropped to 27 × 10⁹/L, and platelet transfusion was administered again. On day 23, vancomycin was adjusted to 500 mg every 8 h as the trough concentration dropped to the minimum effective concentration. On day 33, the platelet count declined to approximately 40 × 10⁹/L. After platelet transfusion, the platelet count rebounded to 90 × 10⁹/L on day 35 but dropped again to 42 × 10⁹/L on day 43. Based on the time-to-platelet count curve and Naranjo’s Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale score, VIT was suspected. After vancomycin discontinuation and platelet transfusion, the platelet count gradually normalized.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis of VIT can be achieved through the time-to-platelet count curve and Naranjo’s Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale score. The platelet count cannot be normalized simply by platelet transfusion alone, and vancomycin discontinuation is essential.