Beneficial Drug Interaction?

[Sparda29]

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Quite a few of our CCU patients are on Dopamine or Norepinephrine or Phenylephrine drips to maintain BP. When vancomycin stops working, the ID doc here orders Linezolid. In a patient with falling BP, wouldn't the interaction with Linezolid and the pressors be beneficial since it would help keep the BP up?

 

[hereticmnk]

That would be ******ed. Linezolid causes increase in BP in about 5-7% of the patients. It is most likely selected as a function of activity against the organism rather than its ability to raise BP.

 

[Sparda29]

That would be ******ed. Linezolid causes increase in BP in about 5-7% of the patients. It is most likely selected as a function of activity against the organism rather than its ability to raise BP.

Yeah, I know it's being selected because of it's function of activity. However, I'm asking if it's even worth it to inform the prescriber/nurse about this interaction?

 

[rxlea]

Yeah, I know it's being selected because of it's function of activity. However, I'm asking if it's even worth it to inform the prescriber/nurse about this interaction?

Well, the bumps are pretty mild to moderate and pretty variable between patients , right?. It's certainly something to monitor if the patient is hypertensive. I'm just a student, but if they are hypotensive and require pressors, then I wouldn't bother mentioning it. The patient will be managed accordingly and we don't need to put the thought in people's minds that linezolid is somehow better for hypotensive patients versus indicated for its antimicrobial activity. That's my thought on it...

EDIT: besides, isn't an increase in BP more likely with other things on board like an SSRI and zofran?

Also, in the hospital, the hypertension AND hypotension will be managed in other ways. From what I've seen, the concern is hypertension, SS, tachycardia, etc.