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Ofloxacin Induced Cutaneous Reactions in Children
Yerramalli Roja Ramani1, Sailen Kumar Mishra2, Bandana Rath3
1Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, MKCG Medical College , Berhampur, India .
Insights
Oral ofloxacin can cause various cutaneous adverse effects in children, ranging from mild rashes to severe conditions like Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Prompt identification and drug discontinuation are crucial to prevent severe outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Pharmacology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Cutaneous adverse effects from antimicrobials pose a significant health challenge.
- Severe reactions such as Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) can occur.
- Ofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, is frequently prescribed for various infections.
Observation:
- While mild reactions are common, severe variants are not infrequent.
- Previous reports documented mucocutaneous maculopapular rash with oral ofloxacin in adults.
- This study observed three distinct cutaneous reactions to oral ofloxacin in pediatric patients.
Findings:
- The study details three varied cutaneous adverse reactions associated with oral ofloxacin in children.
- These reactions highlight the potential for severe dermatological responses to this antibiotic in pediatric populations.
- The findings underscore the importance of monitoring for skin manifestations during ofloxacin therapy.
Implications:
- Early identification of cutaneous lesions is crucial for preventing severe outcomes.
- Immediate discontinuation of ofloxacin upon detecting adverse skin reactions can avert progression to SJS/TEN.
- This approach can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality associated with ofloxacin-induced skin reactions in children.
Abstract:
Cutaneous adverse effects to antimicrobials are a major health problem. Though majority of them are mild and self-limiting, severe variants like Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are not uncommon. Ofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone widely used for the treatment of urinary tract infections, acute bacterial diarrheas, enteric fever, STDs and other soft tissue infections either as a single drug or in combination with other drugs. Earlier a case of mucocutaneous maculopapular rash with oral ofloxacin and was reported in an adult. In the present hospital set up there were few reports of such reactions to adults. Here we report three different variants of reactions associated with oral ofloxacin in chlidren. Early detection of cutaneous lesions and immediate withdrawal of the offending drug can prevent progression of such reactions to their severe variants as well as morbidity and mortality.
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