Tag: Intravenous vancomycin

Vancomycin is a powerful glycopeptide antibiotic used to treat severe Gram-positive bacterial infections, including Methicillin-resistant *Staphylococcus aureus* (MRSA). Despite its strength, the question of whether **vancomycin works immediately** is complex and depends heavily on the route of administration, the type of infection, and the patient's condition.

The choice for the best route of administration for vancomycin is determined by the infection's location, with intravenous (IV) vancomycin reserved for systemic infections and oral vancomycin used exclusively for treating intestinal infections. This is due to the antibiotic's extremely poor oral bioavailability, with less than 10% of the drug being absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut. Therefore, the appropriate route is dictated by the specific therapeutic goal.

Originally derived from a soil fungus in the 1950s, vancomycin is a powerful glycopeptide antibiotic that has become a cornerstone of modern infectious disease treatment. Today, it is primarily used to treat severe, drug-resistant bacterial infections, a role that has made the question 'What is the drug vancomycin used for?' highly relevant in clinical practice.