Antimicrobial Pharmacology Practice Test

A 65-year-old man with a prosthetic heart valve is admitted with fever and malaise. Blood cultures grow methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). He is started on intravenous vancomycin. During the first infusion, he develops diffuse erythema over his face, neck, and upper torso, along with pruritus and hypotension.

A 72-year-old woman in the intensive care unit for urosepsis develops a ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. She is treated with intravenous gentamicin. One week into therapy, she complains of ringing in her ears and difficulty hearing. Her serum creatinine has also increased.