In monitoring vancomycin therapy for nephrotoxicity, which laboratory value is routinely checked?

• A. Blood Urea Nitrogen
• B. AST
• C. Platelet Count
• D. TSH

Answer: (A)

Monitoring the kidney is essential when using vancomycin because nephrotoxicity is a potential adverse effect. Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) is a lab value that reflects how well the kidneys are filtering waste from the blood, so it’s routinely checked to detect early signs of impaired renal function during vancomycin therapy.

AST would indicate liver injury, not nephrotoxicity; platelet count isn’t a marker of kidney function, and TSH assesses thyroid function. While creatinine is a more specific measure of glomerular filtration, BUN remains a practical and commonly used renal function indicator in this context, especially when creatinine isn’t listed as an option.