Reversible Myelosuppresion With Prolonged Usage of Linezolid in Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Bone marrow suppression has a wide variety of causes. One of the overlooked causes is linezolid, a drug that is now being extensively used in the management of not only soft tissue infections but also hospital-acquired infections. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is widely being treated with linezolid. It becomes imperative that we comprehensively understand the hematological adverse effect profile of this drug. A reversible myelosuppression is seen with its extended use, though a number of risk factors like renal impairment are usually present. A prompt diagnosis can help us to timely discontinue the drug. We report one such case of an elderly patient with septic arthritis of the knee who developed pancytopenia after 32 days of linezolid therapy. Withdrawal of the drug led to a complete recovery of the blood counts in 21 days.