Question:medium
Which of the following should be monitored in a patient receiving linezolid therapy?
Which of the following should be monitored in a patient receiving linezolid therapy?
Show Hint
Long courses of this oxazolidinone suppress the marrow.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Renal function
- Liver function
- Auditory function
- Platelet count
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Match the antibiotic to its signature toxicity and the monitoring choice follows.
Linezolid, an oxazolidinone reserved for stubborn gram-positive infections, suppresses the bone marrow when given for long courses. The first and most clinically relevant fallout is a dropping platelet count, so weekly full blood counts with attention to platelets are advised once therapy stretches beyond a couple of weeks.
The remaining options describe toxicities of other drugs. Renal impairment and hearing loss flag aminoglycoside and vancomycin therapy, not linezolid. Liver function testing is not the defining safety check for this drug either.
So the parameter that genuinely changes management during linezolid use is the platelet count.
\[\boxed{\text{Platelet count}}\]
Linezolid, an oxazolidinone reserved for stubborn gram-positive infections, suppresses the bone marrow when given for long courses. The first and most clinically relevant fallout is a dropping platelet count, so weekly full blood counts with attention to platelets are advised once therapy stretches beyond a couple of weeks.
The remaining options describe toxicities of other drugs. Renal impairment and hearing loss flag aminoglycoside and vancomycin therapy, not linezolid. Liver function testing is not the defining safety check for this drug either.
So the parameter that genuinely changes management during linezolid use is the platelet count.
\[\boxed{\text{Platelet count}}\]
Was this answer helpful?
0
