Rifampin use and safety in hospitalized infants

Christopher J Arnold1, Jessica Ericson1, Jordan Kohman1

  • 1Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina.

Insights

Rifampin use in hospitalized infants showed a low incidence of adverse events, with thrombocytopenia and hyperbilirubinemia being most common. Further research on safety and dosing in this population is recommended.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal pharmacology
  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Drug safety in neonates

Background:

  • Rifampin is an antibiotic used to treat various infections.
  • Its use in hospitalized infants, particularly premature neonates, requires careful safety evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the safety and incidence of adverse events associated with rifampin administration in hospitalized infants.
  • To provide data on clinical and laboratory adverse events in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

  • An observational study was conducted across 348 neonatal intensive care units.
  • Data on clinical and laboratory adverse events were collected for infants exposed to rifampin between 1997 and 2012.

Main Results:

  • A total of 2,500 infants received 4,279 courses of rifampin.
  • The most frequent laboratory adverse events were thrombocytopenia and conjugated hyperbilirubinemia.
  • The most common clinical adverse events included necrotizing enterocolitis (3%) and seizures (2%).

Conclusions:

  • The overall incidence of adverse events in infants receiving rifampin appears to be low.
  • Further studies are necessary to comprehensively evaluate the safety and optimal dosing of rifampin in hospitalized infants.
Abstract

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