What is the recommended action if a patient experiences red man syndrome during vancomycin infusion?

Red man syndrome is characterized by flushing, rash, and sometimes hypotension due to rapid infusion of vancomycin. This syndrome is not a true allergic reaction but rather a histamine release response associated with the speed of the drug's administration.

The recommended action when a patient experiences red man syndrome is to slow down the infusion rate of vancomycin. By doing so, you allow the drug to be administered more slowly, which can help prevent the rapid histamine release that causes the symptoms. Slowing the infusion allows the body to tolerate the medication better and mitigates the acute effects associated with the rapid infusion. This approach can greatly reduce or eliminate the symptoms of red man syndrome.

While antihistamines may provide symptomatic relief, they do not address the underlying cause of red man syndrome, which is related to the rapid rate of vancomycin infusion. Increasing the infusion rate would exacerbate the symptoms, and switching to another antibiotic may not be necessary unless the patient has a hypersensitivity or allergy to vancomycin itself, which is not the case with red man syndrome. Therefore, the most appropriate and effective action is to slow down the infusion rate.