Acute pancreatitis in ICU secondary to treatment with tigecycline

Tigecycline is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent, structurally similar to minocycline and that shares some tetracycline-related side effects. A case report is presented on a 68-year-old female who received tigecycline for a sepsis of unknown origin and who, in the following 5days, developed abdominal pain and elevated pancreatic enzymes, which suggested acute pancreatitis. After ruling out other origins, and according to the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale, tigecycline was the probable cause of the acute pancreatitis, a complication that has been reported 5 times in the database of the Spanish pharmacosurveillance system since 2009. Close monitoring of abdominal signs and symptoms is recommended during treatment with tigecycline, since adverse effects affecting the digestive system are the most prevalent ones when using this drug.