DOI: 10.12890/2024_004593

Neutropenia induced by ceftriaxone and meropenem

Authors

  • Zay Yar Aung Acute Medicine Department, Northampton General Hospital, NHS Trust, Northampton, UK 0000-0003-1759-6659
  • Khaled Elmagraby Acute Medicine Department, Northampton General Hospital, NHS Trust, Northampton, UK 0009-0004-5502-3258
  • Alexandra Nica Acute Medicine Department, Northampton General Hospital, NHS Trust, Northampton, UK 0009-0000-3660-9043

zeyaraung26@gmail.com

Keywords

Antibiotic-induced neutropenia, ceftriaxone, meropenem

Abstract

Neutropenia by non-chemotherapy drugs is an extremely rare idiosyncratic life-threatening drug reaction. Ceftriaxone and meropenem are widely used broad-spectrum antibiotics and are generally safe and well tolerated. The authors present a case of neutropenia induced by ceftriaxone and meropenem in an adult patient. The resolution of neutropenia occurred within 48 hours of ceftriaxone and meropenem being discontinued. Although antibiotic-induced neutropenia is uncommon, clinicians should be mindful of this adverse drug effect because of its potential development of severe neutropenia, septicaemia, septic shock, deep-seated infections and even death. Therefore, neutropenic sepsis treatment should be initiated without delay, particularly if the patient becomes septic and febrile. Granulocyte-colony stimulation factor (G-CSF) may be administered to facilitate the recovery process with daily monitoring of neutrophil count. Mortalities from antibiotic-induced neutropenia remain rare, with a range of 2.5–5%.

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References

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Published

2024-05-28

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 7 (2024)

Categories

How to Cite

1.
Aung ZY, Elmagraby K, Nica A. Neutropenia induced by ceftriaxone and meropenem. EJCRIM [Internet]. 2024 May 28 [cited 2026 Nov. 3];11(7). Available from: https://ejcrim.com/index.php/ejcrim/article/view/4593