Nalidixic acid induced pseudotumour cerebri in children

Nalidixic acid, the quinolone frequently used in the treatment of acute dysentery, is now emerging as an important cause of pseudotumour cerebri in infants and young children. A study of 20 such cases showed that all the patients had received a higher than recommended dose of nalidixic acid and that 85% of them were given the drug unnecessarily (i.e., for acute watery diarrhoea). A high concentration of the drug in the commercial preparations as well as the lack of awareness about this among doctors, especially the general practitioners, is the possible contributory factor leading to this situation. A simple measure of bringing down the concentration of nalidixic acid in the available preparations and sticking to oral rehydration solution alone in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea, can bring down the incidence of this condition.