text: Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It is used intravenously (injection into a vein) as a treatment for complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint infections, and meningitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Blood levels may be measured to determine the correct dose. Vancomycin is also taken orally (by mouth) as a treatment for severe Clostridium difficile colitis. When taken orally it is poorly absorbed.
  Common side effects include pain in the area of injection and allergic reactions. Occasionally, hearing loss, low blood pressure, or bone marrow suppression occur. Safety in pregnancy is not clear, but no evidence of harm has been found, and it is likely safe for use when breastfeeding. It is a type of glycopeptide antibiotic and works by blocking the construction of a cell wall.
  Vancomycin was approved for medical use in the United States in 1958. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. The World Health Organization classifies vancomycin as critically important for human medicine. It is available as a generic medication. Vancomycin is made by the soil bacterium Amycolatopsis orientalis'.