Resistance to vancomycin

This code indicates that a patient's infection is caused by a bacterial strain that is no longer susceptible to vancomycin, a powerful antibiotic often used for serious Gram-positive bacterial infections. This resistance means that vancomycin will not be effective in treating the infection.

Use this code when laboratory testing (e.g., culture and sensitivity) confirms that the causative organism exhibits resistance to vancomycin. This applies to various infections, such as MRSA or enterococcal infections, where vancomycin was considered a potential treatment but is now ineffective due to resistance.

• Always sequence this code after the code for the underlying infection.
• Ensure documentation clearly states vancomycin resistance, often identified through microbiology reports.
• Do not use this code if the patient has an allergy to vancomycin; this code specifically denotes microbial resistance.