Acute pancreatitis secondary to ciprofloxacin therapy in patients with infectious colitis

Drug-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Adults: Focus on Antimicrobial and Antiviral Drugs, a Narrative Review

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammation of the pancreas caused by the activation of digestive enzymes in the pancreatic tissue. The main causes of AP are cholelithiasis and alcohol abuse; less commonly, it can be caused by drugs, with a prevalence of up to 5%. Causal associations between drugs and pancreatitis are largely based on case reports or case series with limited evidence. We reviewed the available data on drug-induced AP, focusing on antimicrobial drugs and antivirals, and discussed the current evidence in relation to the classification systems available in the literature. We found 51 suspected associations between antimicrobial and antiviral drugs and AP. The drugs with the most evidence of correlation are didanosine, protease inhibitors, and metronidazole. In addition, other drugs have been described in case reports demonstrating positive rechallenge. However, there are major differences between the various classifications available, where the same drug being assigned to different probability classes. It is likely that the presence in multiple case reports of an association between acute pancreatitis and a drug should serve as a basis for conducting prospective randomized controlled trials to improve the quality of the evidence.

Ofloxacin-ornidazole fixed-dose combination medication-induced pancreatitis with positive rechallenge

Although ofloxacin-ornidazole fixed-dose combination (FDC) is a rampantly used antibiotic combination for mixed-infection diarrhea in India, the adverse drug reaction (ADR) associated with these FDCs remains underreported. Herein, the authors present a case report of a definitive ofloxacin-ornidazole FDC-induced pancreatitis. The nonalcoholic adult male patient showed a sharp piercing epigastric pain flowing to the back, gradually rising in severity, which started after taking ofloxacin-ornidazole FDC tablet over the counter. Serum lipase concentration measured in the emergency room was 635 units per liter (normal range- 13–60 units/L) and serum amylase was 377 units/L (normal range- 30–110 units/L). Ultrasonography and an axial computed tomography of the abdomen confirmed the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Ofloxacin-ornidazole FDC tablet was stopped immediately. Past treatment records confirmed accidental rechallenge. In conclusion, this is a first case report of ofloxacin-ornidazole FDC-induced pancreatitis.

Methods for the early detection of drug-induced pancreatitis: a systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVES

We systematically reviewed the literature to identify evidence-informed recommendations regarding the detection of drug-induced pancreatitis (DIP) and, secondarily, to describe clinical processes for the diagnosis of DIP.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Ovid MEDLINE, including Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Embase Classic+Embase, the Cochrane Library.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews, narrative reviews and observational studies with a focus of establishing incidence, prevalence or diagnostic approaches for DIP. Clinical trials that diagnosed DIP as an outcome were also included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two reviewers screened citations and performed data extraction. A narrative synthesis of the evidence was prepared.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine studies were included. Early published evidence suggested serial pancreatic ultrasound could detect subclinical pancreatitis; however, subsequent studies demonstrated no utility of serial ultrasound or serial monitoring of pancreatic enzymes in the early detection of DIP. Two small studies conducted in patients with a high baseline risk of acute pancreatitis concluded serial monitoring of pancreatic enzymes may be useful to guide early discontinuation of medications with known associations with pancreatitis. Early discontinuation of medication was not advised for lower-risk patients because some medications cause transient elevations of pancreatic enzymes that do not progress to acute pancreatitis. Eight of 52 studies (15%) reporting a clinical diagnostic process for DIP reported using currently accepted criteria for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. A variety of methods were used to assess drug-related causality.

CONCLUSIONS

There is minimal evidence to support the use of serial monitoring by ultrasound or pancreatic enzymes to detect cases of DIP. Serial monitoring may be useful to guide early discontinuation of DIP-associated drugs in high-risk patients, but not in lower-risk patients. Greater uptake of standardised diagnostic and causality criteria for DIP is needed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42017060473.

Toxic-metabolic Risk Factors in Pediatric Pancreatitis: Recommendations for Diagnosis, Management, and Future Research

Pancreatitis in children can result from metabolic and toxic risk factors, but the evidence linking these factors is sparse. We review the evidence for association or causality of these risk factors in pancreatitis, discuss management strategies, and their rationale. We conducted a review of the pediatric pancreatitis literature with respect to the following risk factors: hyperlipidemia, hypercalcemia, chronic renal failure, smoking exposure, alcohol, and medications. Areas of additional research were identified. Hypertriglyceridemia of 1000 mg/dL or greater poses an absolute risk for pancreatitis; persistent elevations of calcium are predisposing. Further research is necessary to determine whether end-stage renal disease leads to increased pancreatitis in children similar to adults. It is unknown whether cigarette smoking exposure, which clearly increases risk in adults, also increases risk in children. The role of alcohol in pediatric pancreatitis, whether direct or modifying, needs to be elucidated. The evidence supporting most cases of medication-induced pancreatitis is poor. Drug structure, improper handling of drug by host, and bystander status may be implicated. Other pancreatitis risk factors must be sought in all cases. The quality of evidence supporting causative role of various toxic and metabolic factors in pediatric pancreatitis is variable. Careful phenotyping is essential, including search for other etiologic risk factors. Directed therapy includes correction/removal of any agent identified, and general supportive measures. Further research is necessary to improve our understanding of these pancreatitis risk factors in children.

Prospective evaluation of the cause of acute pancreatitis, with special attention to medicines

AIM: To investigate the cause of acute pancreatitis (AP) by conducting a thorough investigation of drugs and their possible etiological role.

METHODS: We investigated the cause of AP in a large retrospective cohort of 613 adult patients admitted with AP at the Akershus University Hospital, Norway, from 2000 until 2009, who were evaluated with standard ward investigations. This group was compared with a prospectively evaluated group (n = 57) admitted from January 2010 until September 2010 who investigated more extensively using medical history and radiological assessment.

RESULTS: The groups were comparable with regards to gender, age, comorbidity and severity. The most common etiology was bile stones and alcohol, occurring in 60% in both groups. The prospective group was examined more thoroughly with regards to the use of alcohol and medicines. An increased number of radiological investigations during hospital stay and at follow-up were also performed. A more extensive use of radiological evaluation did not increase the detection frequency of bile stones. In the prospective group, more than half of the patients had two or more possible causes of pancreatitis, being mostly a combination of bile stones and drugs. No possible cause was found in only 3.5% of these patients, compared with 29.7% in the retrospective group.

CONCLUSION: A detailed medical history and extensive radiological evaluation may determine a possible etiology in almost all cases of AP. Many patients have several possible risk factors, and uncertainty remains in establishing the definitive etiology.