Hepatotoxicity Secondary to Levofloxacin Use

Ladan Panahi; Salim Surani Surani; George Udeani; Niraj P Patel; Jacob Sellers

doi:10.7759/cureus.15973

Hepatotoxicity Secondary to Levofloxacin Use

Cureus. 2021 Jun 27;13(6):e15973. doi: 10.7759/cureus.15973. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Authors

Ladan Panahi¹, Salim Surani Surani^{2

1

3}, George Udeani¹, Niraj P Patel¹, Jacob Sellers¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Pharmacy, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University, Kingsville, USA.
² College of Medicine, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University, College Station, USA.
³ Section of Pulmonary - Critical Care & Fellowship Program, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA.

Abstract

Levofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is used in the treatment of many infections. A rare adverse drug reaction following the use of levofloxacin is drug-induced liver injury. The exact mechanism behind fluoroquinolone-induced liver injury is unknown, but many severe, sometimes fatal hepatotoxicity cases are reported. Current recommendations advise clinicians to discontinue levofloxacin immediately if the patient develops signs and symptoms of hepatitis. This case report presents a 79-year-old male who was prescribed levofloxacin 500 mg by mouth daily for seven days. The patient had a past medical history of dementia, seizures, cerebral vascular accident, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease. Upon admission, the patient began to show signs and symptoms of liver injury. We hereby present a case report and a review of significant literature on levofloxacin-induced liver injury.

Keywords: dili; fluoroquinolones; hepatotoxicity; levofloxacin; liver injury.

Publication types

Case Reports