meropenem and Eosinophilia

The intravenous form of fosfomycin, a bactericide antibiotic used to treat multiresistant bacterial infections is little prescribed. The most common reported adverse effects are hypokaliemia and hypernatremia. We describe a case of agranulocytosis, a rarely described side effect that may be fatal.. A 45 year-old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit for post-surgical meningitis following meningioma resection. Meropenem and vancomycin were first introduced. A DRESS-syndrom with meropenem was suspected. Neutropenia was diagnosed three days after the introduction of parenteral fosfomycin and agranulocytosis four days later. Eosinophilia was also observed. A bone marrow aspiration was performed showing a disappearance of the neutrophil granulocyte line and a significant eosinophilia. Meropenem was discontinued. Fosfomycin was maintained and filgrastim was added. As filgrastim had no effect, the relationship with fosfomycin was suspected, so it was then withheld. An increase of the neutrophil count was observed. Because of the complexity of the case, the unfavorable course of the illness and the urgent need for revision surgery, a rechallenge with fosfomycin was done followed by a decrease of the neutrophil count.. This is the third paper reporting agranulocytosis induced by fosfomycin, and the first detailed description of a case. Based on chronological and semiological criteria and bibliographic data, the event was qualified as probable with the Naranjo adverse drug probability scale. Literature data is scarce. The summary of product characteristics mentions that only a few cases of transient neutropenia and agranulocytosis have been reported. An analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database highlighted a higher than expected frequency of agranulocytosis in patients treated with fosfomycin. Parenteral fosfomycin is often used in patients receiving other medications, so that it is rarely the only suspect. In our case, the results of the bone marrow aspiration, the sudden drop of the neutrophil count with concomitant eosinophilia and the absence of improvement despite the dose decrease, point towards an immuno-allergic mechanism. However, the overlap between the suspected DRESS induced by meropenem and the agranulocytosis do not allow to conclude with certainty on the causality. Awareness should be raised about this side effect.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Eosinophilia; Female; Filgrastim; Fosfomycin; Humans; Meropenem; Middle Aged; Neutropenia

We conducted a multicenter trial to compare the efficacy and safety of meropenem with the efficacy and safety of clindamycin plus gentamicin in the treatment of 515 hospitalized patients with acute gynecologic and obstetric pelvic infections. At the end of treatment, the rates of satisfactory clinical and bacteriologic response were high (88%) in both treatment groups: the rates of response were 90% for the meropenem group and 86% for the clindamycin/gentamicin group. No serious adverse events occurred. The most frequently reported drug-related adverse clinical events in the meropenem group were nausea and injection-site reactions (> 1% of patients), and the most common drug-related laboratory abnormality was thrombocythemia. Similar patterns of adverse events occurred in the clindamycin/gentamicin group; however, the incidence of diarrhea and eosinophilia was higher in this group. In summary, this trial demonstrated that meropenem is an effective and safe alternative to the combination of clindamycin plus gentamicin for the treatment of women with acute gynecologic and obstetric pelvic infections.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Clindamycin; Diarrhea; Drug Therapy, Combination; Eosinophilia; Female; Genital Diseases, Female; Gentamicins; Hospitalization; Humans; Meropenem; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Thienamycins; Thrombocytopenia

Acute renal failure caused by interstitial nephritis as part of a drug hypersensitivity syndrome constitutes a rare, but potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction. We describe a patient with a mild maculo-papular rash accompanied by eosinophilia after prolonged treatment with meropenem, vancomycin, and moxifloxacin. Subsequently, a rapidly progressing renal failure developed which dominated the clinical picture. Upon cessation of all suspected drugs and therapy with high-dose steroids for 6 weeks, the renal function slowly returned to normal.

Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Aortic Valve; Aza Compounds; Biopsy; Diagnosis, Differential; Drug Eruptions; Drug Therapy, Combination; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Eosinophilia; Fluoroquinolones; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Kidney; Legionnaires' Disease; Male; Meropenem; Moxifloxacin; Nephritis, Interstitial; Quinolines; Sepsis; Skin; Thienamycins; Vancomycin