Ceftazidime-induced thrombocytopenia

• Published in: Revista española de anestesiología y reanimación Vol. 64; no. 10; p. 590
• Main Authors: Domingo-Chiva, E, Díaz-Rangel, M, Monsalve-Naharro, J Á, Cuesta-Montero, P, Catalá-Ripoll, J V, García-Martínez, E M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.12.2017
• Subjects: Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents - adverse effects; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - surgery; Causality; Ceftazidime - adverse effects; Cross Infection - drug therapy; Escherichia coli Infections - drug therapy; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated - drug therapy; Postoperative Complications - chemically induced; Postoperative Complications - drug therapy; Pseudomonas Infections - drug therapy; Respiration, Artificial; Respiratory Insufficiency - therapy; Thrombocytopenia - chemically induced; Cefalosporinas; Thrombocytopenia; Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; Cephalosporins; Trombocitopenia; Farmacovigilancia; Ceftazidima; Discrasias sanguíneas; Pharmacovigilance; Blood dyscrasias; Ceftazidime; Efectos colaterales y reacciones adversas relacionados con medicamentos
• ISSN: 2340-3284
• DOI: 10.1016/j.redar.2017.03.016

Ceftazidime is an antibiotic belonging to the group of third generation cephalosporins, frequently used in clinical practice for its broad antibacterial spectrum. A case report is presented on a 78-year-old man who entered the intensive care unit due to respiratory failure secondary to nosocomial pneumonia in the postoperative period of a laparoscopic hepatic bisegmentectomy for a hepatocarcinoma. It required invasive mechanical ventilation and was treated with ceftazidime, developing a progressive decrease in platelet count after the onset of this drug and after re-exposure to it, not coinciding with the introduction of other drugs. The adverse reaction was reported to the Spanish pharmacosurveillance system and according to the Naranjo algorithm the causal relationship was probable. Since no case of ceftazidime-induced thrombocytopenia was found in the literature, we consider knowledge of it relevant as an adverse effect to be taken into account given its potential severity, especially when it cannot be explained by other causes.