Dosing
CrCl > 80: 600 mg po or iv q 12 h.
CrCl 80-50:
CrCl 50-10:
CrCl < 10:
Hemodialysis:
Peritoneal dialysis:
Important side effects
Cytopenias and cannot have a high tyrosine diet (smoked sausage and red wines, usually not an issue in my hospital); optic and peripheral neuropathy (rare but not reversible).
Rare: rhabdomyolysis.
Important drug interactions
Citalopram, clovoxamine, dopamine, epinephrine, escitalopram, femoxetine, flesinoxan, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, paroxetine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, sertraline, trazodone, venlafaxine, zimeldine. They get a serotonin syndrome)PubMed) (altered MS, agitation, fevers) with concomitant SSRI's but in most patients the drug can be continued without stopping the SSRI as long as they are watched closely (PubMed).
Rants and Screeds
Waaaaayyyyyyyy expensive ($1500 American dollars for a 10 day course), but, hey, someone needs to pay for that pizza at lunch conference.
Pearls
You want to really be irritated? Some Staphylococci require linezolid for growth (CDC).
Treatment of choice
Use for
gram-positives for the most part. MRSA and VRE if you can't use Vancomycin; Clostridium difficile is susceptible in the test tube. Cellulitis, Mycobacterium infection, Pneumonia.
Don't use for
Class
Oxazolidinone.