Levofloxacin-induced delirium

Neurol Sci. 2009 Apr;30(2):159-61. doi: 10.1007/s10072-009-0027-9. Epub 2009 Feb 3.

Abstract

An 83-year-old man was admitted for right lower lobe pneumonia which did not improve after a 5-day outpatient treatment with amoxicillin/clavulinate and clarithromycin. An empiric treatment with levofloxacin was started with a significant improvement after 24 h of this treatment. On the third day of hospitalization, delirium developed, while the patient was afebrile and with normal blood oxygenation. Treatment with levofloxacin was stopped, and a complete resolution of the patient's delirium was observed 2 days later. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third case of levofloxacin-induced delirium described in the medical literature.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Amoxicillin / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / adverse effects
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Clarithromycin / therapeutic use
  • Confusion / chemically induced
  • Delirium / chemically induced*
  • Delirium / physiopathology
  • Ertapenem
  • Hallucinations / chemically induced
  • Humans
  • Levofloxacin*
  • Male
  • Ofloxacin / adverse effects*
  • Pneumonia / drug therapy*
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Withholding Treatment
  • beta-Lactams / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • beta-Lactams
  • Levofloxacin
  • Amoxicillin
  • Ofloxacin
  • Ertapenem
  • Clarithromycin