Efectos de claritromicina sobre el Intervalo QT corregido, en pacientes añosos hospitalizados / Comparative Pharmacodynamic analysis of QT interval prolongation. Induced by Clarithromycin in elderly hospitalized patients

Se estableció los efectos de la claritromicina sobre el intervalo QT corregido (iQTc) en pacientes gerontes, que requirieron hospitalización por infección respiratoria, mediante registro electrocardiográfico al inicio y al final del tratamiento. Se observó en 61% de los casos un aumento del iQTC (0,04 seg en promedio). No obstante las comorbilidades asociadas, ningún caso evolucionó a taquicardia ventricular polimórfica

The effects of clarithromycin on the corrected QT interval (iQTc) in elderly patients, who required hospitalization due to respiratory infection, were established by electrocardiographic recording at the beginning and at the end of the treatment. An increase in iQTC was observed in all cases (0.04 sec on average). Despite the associated comorbidities, no case evolved to polymorphic ventricular tachycardia

Daño hepático agudo inducido por claritromicina. A propósito de un caso / Acute liver injury induced by clarithromycin, case report

Introducción: El daño hepático por fármacos es una lesión secundaria al uso de medicamentos. Posee una baja incidencia, representando la causa más común de muerte por falla hepática aguda. Es importante el diagnóstico y tratamiento precoz para evitar resultados desfavorables. Presentación del caso: Mujer de 73 años, con antecedentes de Hipertensión arterial en tratamiento, colecistectomizada; cursó neumonía adquirida en la comunidad de presentación atípica en tratamiento con claritromicina 500mg/12 horas y al cuarto día de tratamiento presentó ictericia, coluria, hipocolia y astenia. Al examen físico presentó dolor a palpación en hemiabdomen derecho y hepatomegalia. Los exámenes en urgencias mostraron una marcada alteración de las pruebas hepáticas, con leucocitos de 9.020/mm3 y 8% de eosinófilos. Se solicitó ecotomografía abdominal que no evidenció obstrucción de vía biliar. Durante la hospitalización se descartó serología para Virus Hepatitis A, B, C, Epstein Barr, Citomegalovirus y Virus de la Inmunodeficiancia Humana (VIH), junto con un perfil inmunológico no patológico. Se complementó con colangioresonancia que no evidenció obstrucción de la vía biliar, por lo que se indicó biopsia hepática que concluyó "daño hepático secundario a fármacos''. Se suspendió claritromicina, evolucionando favorablemente dándose de alta al séptimo día. Discusión: La claritromicina es un antibiótico usado ampliamente para tratar las infecciones bacterianas, sin embargo, es capaz de inducir daño hepático. El diagnóstico del daño hepático por fármacos es difícil, requiriéndose alto índice de sospecha, en donde las manifestaciones clínicas, la eosinofilia y el descarte de otras patologías son fundamentales para plantear el diagnóstico.

Introduction: Drug induced liver injury (DILI), is a drug hepatotoxicity, with low incidence. However represents the most common cause of death secondary to acute liver failure. Assertive diagnosis and early treatment is important to avoid adverse results. Case report: A 73-year-old woman, with arterial hypertension and cholecystectomy, who suffered community acquired pneumonia with atypical presentation, was treated with clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day. She manifested jaundice, choluria, hipocholia and fatigue after the fourth day in treatment. Additional, physical examination: at palpation showed right and upper abdominal pain, and hepatomegaly. During the emergency room, laboratory tests showed significant alterations in liver function. Total leukocyte count 9020 with 8% eosinophils. Abdominal ultrasound was negative for biliary obstruction. During hospitalization, markers for autoimmune liver disease were non pathological, and viral serologies (Hepatitis A, B, C viruses, Epstein Barr, Cytomegalovirus and Human immunodeficiency virus) were negative. Biliary obstruction was negative according Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Liver biopsy showed "drug induced liver injury". Clarithromycin was suspended, and the patient achieved clinical improvement and she was discharge at the 7th day. Discussion: Clarithromycin is an antibiotic widely used for several bacterial infections, capable of induced hepatotoxicity. Diagnosis of DILI is difficult, that requires high index of clinical suspicion. Clinical manifestations, eosinophilia and diferential diagnoses are key for an assertive diagnosis

Changing Patterns of Antibiotic Resistance of Helicobacter pylori in Patients with Peptic Ulcer Disease / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a significant clinical problem because it reduces the efficacy of eradication therapy. The aims of this study were to assess the changing patterns of antibiotic resistance of H. pylori in patients with peptic ulcer diseases and to evaluate the eradication rate in antibiotic resistant H. pylori strains. METHODS: One hundred forty four H. pylori isolates obtained from 466 patients with peptic ulcer disease between June 2001 and December 2005 were examined for antimicrobial resistance. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of metronidazole was determined by modified broth microdilution method (mBMD) and E test. MICs of clarithromycin and amoxicillin were determined by mBMD, E test, and disc diffusion test. The breakpoints for metronidazole, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin resistance were defined as >8microgram/mL, >1microgram/mL, and > or =1microgram/mL, respectively. RESULTS: Resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin was detected in 34.7% and 16.7% of H. pylori isolates, respectively. During the recent 5-year study period, amoxicillin-resistant rate of H. pylori was 11.8%, and multi-drug resistance rate of H. pylori was 16.7%. The eradication rate of clarithromycin containing triple therapies was low (7.8%) in clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains. CONCLUSIONS: The proportions of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains have increased significantly over the last 5-years. There is an increasing tendency for the emergence of strains with multi-drug resistance. The increase in clarithromycin-resistant strains results in a decrease in eradication rate for H. pylori. In areas with high clarithromycin resistance, new alternative first-line treatment combination should be considered.

Phototoxic reaction due to clarithromycin.

An unusual case of phototoxic reaction caused by clarithromycin is being presented here as it is not reported in medical literature.

A comparative efficacy and safety study of clarithromycin, roxithromycin and erythromycin stearate in mild pneumonia

The efficacy and safety of clarithromycin, roxithromycin and erythromycin stearate in mild pneumonia were compared in an open randomized trial. Eighty-six male patients, doing their obligatory military service, ranging between 19 and 24 years of age (mean 20), were randomly treated: 29 with clarithromycin 500 mg 12-hourly, 30 with roxithromycin 150 mg 12-hourly, and 27 with erythromycin stearate 500 mg 6-hourly, each course being administered for 10 days. Seventy-eight patients were able to be evaluated for efficacy, 28 receiving clarithromycin, 28 roxithromycin, and 22 erythromycin stearate. There were no significant differences among the groups in terms of clinical success rates (clinical cure or improvement: 89% for clarithromycin, 82% for roxithromycin, and 73% for erythromycin stearate, p = 0.32). However, we found that there were significant differences among the groups in terms of clinical cure rates (75% for clarithromycin, 64% for roxithromycin, and 41% for erythromycin stearate, p = 0.04). Adverse events, mostly gastrointestinal, caused discontinuation of treatment in 3.4% of the patients in the clarithromycin group, in 6.6% of the patients in the roxithromycin group, and in 18.5% of the patients in the erythromycin stearate group. The results indicate that there were no statistically significant differences among the three treatment groups in terms of clinical success rates, but that clarithromycin and roxithromycin were better tolerated.

Intoxicación por carbamazepina con dos dosis de claritromicina: reporte de un caso / Intoxication by carbamazepin with 2 clarithromycin doses: clinical report

La interacción entre carbamazepina y claritromicina ha sido recientemente reportada en la literatura. Reportamos el caso de un niño de 8 años, portador de epilepsia, quien presentó una intoxicación por carbamazepina luego de que se agregara claritromicina al tratamiento. Después de la segunda dosis del antibiótico el paciente se mostró somnoliento y con ataxia cerebelosa, demostrándose una importante elevación del nivel plasmático de carbamazepina. El paciente recobró su condición normal rápidamente, luego de que se suspendiera el antibiótico con la concomitante disminución del nivel plasmático del anticonvulsivante. Se discuten las características de esta interacción de fármacos haciendo resaltar las características del metabolismo de los niños que hace especialmente importante esta situación clínica

Neurotoxoplasmose em pacientes com síndrome de imunodeficiência adquirida: estudo de 33 casos / Central nervous system toxoplasmosis in patients with the acquirred immunodeficiency syndrome: study od 30 cases

Os autores estudaram, retrospectivamente, as manifestações clínicas de 33 pacientes adultos com o diagnóstico de Síndrome de Imunodeficiência Adquirida (SIDA) e neurotoxoplasmose, internados no Serviço de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias do Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro no período de abril de 1986 a dezembro de 1994, realizando uma correlação com os achados neurorradiológicos e os achados neuropatológicos de 10 pacientes. Dos 33 pacientes estudados, 27 (81,8 por cento) eram do sexo masculino, com predomínio do grupo etário compreendido entre 20 e 40 anos (72,6 por cento). Quanto ao comportamento de risco, observou-se um predomínio da transmissão por via sexual. As manifestações neurológicas mais freqüentes foram: sinais de localização (26 casos - 78,7 por cento); alterações do estado mental (24 casos - 72,7 por cento); cefaléia (20 casos - 60,6 por cento) e crise convulsiva generalizada (18 casos - 54,5 por cento). Quanto aos achados neurorradiológicos, verificou-se que a grande maioria dos pacientes apresentava lesões múltiplas (19 casos - 57,5 por cento) localizadas em hemisférios cerebrais (24 casos - 72,7 por cento) e núcleo da base (16 casos - 48,4 por cento) com captação nodular do contraste (16 casos - 48,4 por cento). Verificou-se ainda que o edema perilesional estava presente em 28 (84,8 por cento) casos e produziu efeito de massa em 16 (48,4 por cento). A instituição do tratamento para neurotoxoplasmose foi acompanhada de resposta parcial em 27 (82,0 por cento) pacientes, resposta completa em dois (6,0 por cento) e ausência de resposta em quatro (12,0 por cento). Na maioria dos casos (20 pacientes - 83,2 por cento), o tempo de sobrevida após o início da terapêutica foi inferior a 12 meses, sendo que em 15 (62,4 por cento) deles foi inferior a seis meses. O estudo histopatológico do Sistema Nervoso Central (SNC) foi realizado em 10 (41,6 por cento) dos 24 pacientes que evoluíram para o óbito. Em todos os casos observou-se alterações morfológicas do SNC. A neurotoxoplasmose ativa foi diagnosticada em cinco (50 por cento) casos, em todos havendo concordância entre o diagnóstico clínico, neurorradiológico e os achados neuropatológicos. Em quatro casos, a neurotoxoplasmose foi considerada a causa primária de morte. Nos cinco pacientes restantes foi constatada a presença de lesões cicatriciais, algumas de aspecto cístico, localizadas em hemisférios cerebrais, núcleos da base e tronco cerebral