cefotaxime and Anemia--Hemolytic--Autoimmune

Nocardial infections in an immunocompromised host have been increasingly reported. Nocardial brain abscess, the most common presentation of nocardiosis in the central nervous system, is associated with a high mortality rate because of its delayed diagnosis and its unresponsiveness to the usual antibiotic therapy. We report four patients who experienced a long-term cure of nocardial brain abscess due to treatment by a combination of surgery and postoperative antibiotic therapy; 1 man and 3 women, ages ranging from 43 to 67 years old. Two patients were associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and two with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Patients underwent surgical aspiration and drainage of brain abscess. Nocardia was identified from the aspirated specimen and postoperative antibiotic therapy for 5-6 weeks was performed using effective antibiotic agents; sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (ST), imipenem/cilastatin and minocycline (MINO) in Case 1, ST and MINO in Case 2, erythromycin in Case 3, and panipenem/betamipron and cefotaxime in Case 4. Case 3 and Case 4 with multilobulated brain abscess underwent total excision of the brain abscess. All patients showed successful cure of nocardial brain abscess with no recurrence for the period of 1-8 years. The combination of surgery and postoperative antibiotic therapy provides a good prognosis for nocardial brain abscess.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune; Anti-Bacterial Agents; beta-Alanine; Brain Abscess; Cefotaxime; Cilastatin; Cilastatin, Imipenem Drug Combination; Drainage; Drug Combinations; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Imipenem; Immunocompromised Host; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Male; Middle Aged; Minocycline; Nocardia Infections; Postoperative Care; Thienamycins; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia is a serious hematological disorder which results from increased red blood cell destruction due to the production of autoantibodies, drug (metabolite)-dependent antibodies (DDAb) or both types of antibodies, even in one patient by the same drug. One of the major problems related to DDAb is that the causative drug (metabolite) usually does not bind tightly to target cells, and the antibodies are completely removed from the cells by conventional washing procedures, i.e. by the antiglobulin test. We have recently shown that the microtube geltest, by which the antiglobulin test is performed without washing the cells, is a highly sensitive and reliable alternative method for the detection of all kinds of DDAb. The results obtained with different DDAb are discussed.

Topics: Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune; Autoantibodies; Carbimazole; Catechin; Cefotaxime; Coombs Test; Diclofenac; Erythrocytes; Humans; Nomifensine; Penicillins