A male infant born at 32 weeks' gestation with a birthweight of 1030 g was started on intravenous vancomycin for a femoral osteomyelitis. On day 7 of treatment, he developed an erythematous flushed rash, rapidly spreading from the head to trunk and extremities, and became markedly irritable; vancomycin infusion was promptly stopped, with subsequent skin clearance. Given the wide use of vancomycin for the treatment of neonatal infections, a good awareness of red man syndrome signs and symptoms in the neonatal population is fundamental to recognize this adverse drug reaction and manage its rare but possible life-threatening complications.
Keywords: adverse drug reaction; antibiotic therapy; neonate; osteomyelitis; prematurity; red man syndrome; vancomycin hypersensitivity.
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.