Thursday, May 3, 2007

Thursday May 03, 2007
Linezolid and side-effects


Thrombocytopenia could be multifactorial in ICU. One of the relatively new cause is Linezolid (
Zyvox). But thrombocytopenia with Zyvox usually doesn't occur upto 10 days after the initiation of treatment and reported in upto 32% of patients. Relatively overall its mild, reversible and due to myelosuppression. there is no evidence for anti-platelet or interference with platelet function. Patients with low pre-treatment platelet values have increase risk of thrombocytopenia 6.

Other side-effects include leukopenia, transient elevations of liver transaminases 4 and mild to moderate anemia
5. Cases have been reported of LINEZOLID-INDUCED LACTIC ACIDOSIS 7, 8.



References: click to get abstract/article

1.
Hematologic Effects of Linezolid: Summary of Clinical Experience - Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, August 2002, p. 2723-2726, Vol. 46, No. 8
2.
Linezolid and reversible myelosuppression. - JAMA 285:1291
3.
Safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of linezolid for treatment of resistant Gram-positive infections in cancer patients with neutropenia - Annals of Oncology 14:795-801, 2003
4. Zyvox (linezolid) package insert. Pharmacia & Upjohn
5. Linezolid-Induced Anemia and Thrombocytopenia - Pharmacotherapy 22(1):109-112, 2002
6.
Linezolid: low pre-treatment platelet values could increase the risk of thrombocytopenia - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2005 56(2):440-441;
7.
LINEZOLID-INDUCED LACTIC ACIDOSIS - Linezolid-induced lactic acidosis. N Eng J Med, 2003; 348 :86 -7.
8.
Does Linezolid Cause Lactic Acidosis by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis? Clinical Infectious Disease2005; 40 :e113 -6