Polymyxin use associated with respiratory arrest.
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 22315119.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1378/chest.11-1483 and PMC identifier 3662206.
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Abstract
The polymyxins (polymyxin B and E) are bactericidal polypeptide antibiotics first discovered in 1947 and used for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections. Renal and neurologic toxicities coupled with the increasing availability of effective alternatives led to declining use in the 1960s. The emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms in the past decade has resulted in a resurgence in the use of polymyxins in critically ill patients, yet the side effects are not well known. We report two cases of respiratory arrest likely due to polymyxin B infusions in the context of a 10-fold increase in the use of polymyxin B in our institution over the past 10 years.
Medical subject headings
- Anti-Bacterial Agents
- Bacterial Infections
- Pneumonia
- Polymyxin B
- Respiratory Insufficiency
- Urinary Tract Infections