ABSTRACT
CASE: An 81-year-old female with multiple co-morbidities including recent covid-19, presented to the emergency room with shortness of breath. On arrival, she was febrile with a temperature of 101F, pulse 100 beats/min, respiratory rate 14, blood pressure 196/163 and saturating at 75% on 10 L non-rebreather mask. Initial blood work showed WBC 10.9, lactic acid 1.7, BUN/creatinine 27/1.7 (consistent with her baseline), ABG showed pH 7.37, PCO2 49, PO2 88, HCO3 27.9. Chest x-ray demonstrated volume loss in the left hemithorax, airspace disease in the left mid lung and lung base. Due to suspicion for superimposed bacterial pneumonia and positive blood cultures for staphylococcus haemolyticus, she was started on vancomycin and azithromycin. Choice of antibiotics was challenging as she was allergic to penicillin and cephalosporins. During hospitalization, her kidney function deteriorated, vancomycin was substituted with tigecycline on day 3. Day 5 of treatment, she developed multiple episodes of vomiting with epigastric pain, lipase was 4523. Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed with tigecycline presumed to be the inciting agent in the absence of other risk factors such as gall stones, chronic alcohol use, elevated triglycerides, previous known episodes of pancreatitis or any other causative medications. Tigecycline was switched back to vancomycin and she received aggressive IV fluid hydration which also improved her kidney function. Within 48 hours, the patient had improved oxygen saturation, resolution of her abdominal pain, and good oral intake marking significant overall clinical progress. She was discharged on home oxygen and few more days of IV vancomycin for bacteremia. IMPACT/DISCUSSION: Tigecycline is a broad-spectrum glycylcycline antimicrobial agent belonging to the tetracycline class of antibiotics. Tetracyclines have been associated with acute pancreatitis in literature, and concerns about tigecycline-induced acute pancreatitis have been raised over the past decade in post marketing surveys, we described one such case above. Using the Naranjo Adverse Drug reaction probability scale, a score of 6 was achieved, indicating that the patient's pancreatitis was probably related to tigecycline. CONCLUSION: We recommend physicians monitor patients for signs and symptoms of pancreatitis including abdominal pain after initiating treatment with tigecycline. There should be a low threshold for ordering lipase levels and abdominal CT imaging where indicated. If the patient has symptoms concerning for acute pancreatitis, consider stopping tigecycline and switching to a different class of antibiotics immediately.
ABSTRACT
Favipiravir, an antiviral agent originally used for influenza infections, has become popular due to its beneficial signals in coronavirus disease. It is currently used in some countries within COVID-19 treatment protocols. This is an initial report of favipiravir-related fluorescence observed in three healthcare providers working in the same ward in our hospital. All three individuals had been diagnosed with COVID-19 two months earlier and were treated with favipiravir. None of the three individuals received hydroxychloroquine or tetracyclines. Wood’s light examination led to an incidental discovery of favipiravir-induced fluorescence involving the sclera, nails, and teeth. In all patients, white linear, square, and band-like specks of fluorescence were noticed on the sclera of both eyes, some teeth, and the proximal part of all fingernails and toenails. Exposure of the eyes to the Wood’s light was for a brief duration of 3 to 5 seconds during examination and photodocumentation. Favipiravir might cause bright white fluorescence of nails, sclera, and teeth, detectable by Wood’s light even two months after its cessation.