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Augmentin‐induced jaundice with a fatal outcome
Author(s) -
Hebbard Geoffrey S,
Smith Kenneth G C,
Gibson Peter R,
Bhathal Prithi S
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1992.tb139752.x
Subject(s) - medicine , jaundice , prednisolone , gastroenterology , cholestatic hepatitis , malignancy , hepatitis , cholestasis , encephalopathy , cholestatic jaundice , surgery
Objective: To report a case of death due to Augmentin‐induced cholestatic hepatitis and discuss a possible drug interaction between Augmentin and oestrogenic steroids. Clinical features, intervention and outcome: An 81‐year‐old man, on oestrogen therapy for prostatic malignancy, presented with obstructive jaundice one week after completing a four‐week course of Augmentin for recurrent urinary tract infection. Liver biopsy showed features of a drug‐induced cholestatic hepatitis with bile duct injury. His clinical course was marked by progressive deterioration with increasing jaundice and the development of hepatic encephalopathy. A course of prednisolone did not result in any improvement and he died nine weeks after the onset of jaundice. Conclusions: The cholestatic hepatitis induced by Augmentin is usually reversible but may be progressive, leading to death. The concurrent administration of ethinyloestradiol, a potentially cholestatic agent, may have altered the susceptibility and/or course of the reaction in this patient.