To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: AAFP: Metronidazole (Flagyl) Linked to Pancreatitis URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/208042.htm Doctor's Guide October 5, 2001
By Drex Earle Special to DG News
ATLANTA, GA -- October 5, 2001 -- Metronidazole (Flagyl), an antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial infections and Crohn's disease complications, may be linked to the development of pancreatitis in women, according to a new study.
Dr. Christopher Prior, with the Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, reported findings from a case study at the 2001 American Academy of Family Physicians Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
He and his team investigated a 32-year old African American woman with a past history of acute pancreatitis who was given metronidazole to alleviate vaginal discharge.
The patient had no known risk factors for pancreatitis, but presented symptoms of the disease just one week after starting the drug.
"She did not drink a lot of alcohol, have a history of gallstones or high cholesterol, and there was no presence of a virus or history of trauma," Dr. Prior said.
After taking the patient off metronidazole, the symptoms went away, suggesting a relationship between the antibiotic and the disease.
"Potential mechanisms for causing this could be free radicals produced by the breakdown of metronidazole in the pancreas, or it could be some sort of auto-immune or inflammatory response," Dr. Prior explained.
Metronidazole-induced pancreatitis has been documented in the past, but the side effects of the antibiotic are still not widely known. "We would like to raise public awareness that there is a definite connection between this drug and pancreatitis," Dr. Prior told Doctor's Guide.
In the future, the researchers would like to see if different applications of the same drug elicit similar results. "There is a preparation of metronidazole in a gel form that can be given vaginally rather than by mouth," Dr. Prior said. "We would like to find out if it has the same effect."
Overall, he urged the medical community to stay informed and be cautious when prescribing the drug.
"As a provider, you should think twice before giving metronidazole to a person who has a history of pancreatitis, because you may not necessarily want to give it to that patient," he concluded. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.