Systemic Absorption of Oral and Rectal Vancomycin in a Critically Ill Patient: A Case Report

Enteral administration of vancomycin is the standard treatment for Clostridioides difficile (Clostridium difficile) colitis and is presumed to have no systemic absorption. In critically ill patients, however, especially with multi-organ failure, enteral absorption of vancomycin is unpredictable and can cause severe toxicity if it remains unrecognized. We therefore report a case of systemic absorption of enteric vancomycin in a patient with severe C. difficile colitis.