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Published on: October 29, 2020
Bone marrow suppression: a side effect of ciprofloxacin therapy
Muhammad Chaudhry1, Neel Tarneja, Abhijit Gundale
1Department of Internal Medicine, Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
American Journal of Therapeutics
|September 17, 2010
Summary
Ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic for common infections, can rarely cause severe bone marrow depression. This case highlights a potential risk even in healthy individuals treated for urinary tract infections.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Hematology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Ciprofloxacin is a widely prescribed fluoroquinolone antibiotic.
- It is commonly used for treating gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract infections.
- While generally safe, rare severe adverse events have been documented.
Observation:
- This report details a case of bone marrow depression.
- The patient was an otherwise healthy woman.
- The complication occurred during ciprofloxacin therapy for a urinary tract infection.
Findings:
- The study documents a case of ciprofloxacin-induced bone marrow depression.
- Previous literature includes two similar cases and one of thrombocytopenia.
- This adds to the known, albeit rare, hematologic risks of ciprofloxacin.
Implications:
- Clinicians should be aware of the potential for severe hematologic toxicity with ciprofloxacin.
- Monitoring for bone marrow suppression may be warranted in patients receiving this antibiotic.
- Further research into the mechanisms and risk factors for ciprofloxacin-induced bone marrow depression is needed.
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