Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Acute Liver Failure Due To Amoxicillin and Amoxicillin/Clavulanate

  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of our study is to report upon the presentation of two patients with life-threatening acute liver failure (ALF) due to amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanate. A 59-year-old, Caucasian male presented with ALF 34 days after receiving amoxicillin/clavulanate. Despite aggressive supportive care, he died on hospital day 10. A 42-year-old, Caucasian female presented with ALF 21 days after receiving amoxicillin. She underwent successful liver transplantation on hospital day 19. In both cases, all competing causes of ALF had been excluded, liver pathology was consistent with drug-induced hepatitis, and cases were deemed “definite/highly probable” using causality assessment. Amongst 14 prior ALF/death cases due to amoxicillin/clavulanate, the mean age (62 years), male predominance (57%), and mean delay from drug cessation to presentation (17 days) is similar to what has been reported in patients with self-limited cholestatic hepatitis. Acute liver failure is a rare manifestation of amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanate hepatotoxicity with no obvious clinical features at presentation portending a poor prognosis. Early transfer of patients with severe drug-induced hepatotoxicity (i.e., encephalopathy or coagulopathy) to a transplant center is recommended due to their poor likelihood of recovery.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bolzan H, Spatola J, Castelletto R, Curciarello J: Intrahepatic cholestasis induced by amoxicillin alone. Gastroenterol Hepatol 23:237–239, 2000

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rodriguez LA, Stricker BH, Zimmerman HJ: Risk of acute liver injury associated with the combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. Arch Intern Med 156:1327–1332, 1996

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Larrey D, Vial T, Micaleff A, Babany G, Morichau-Beauchant M, Michel H, Benhamou JP: Hepatitis associated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination report of 15 cases. Gut 33:368–371, 1992

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Brown SJ, Desmond PV: Hepatotoxicity of antimicrobial agents. Semin Liver Dis 22:157–167, 2002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Hautekeete ML, Brenard R, Horsmans Y, Henrion J, Verbist L, Derue G, Druez P, Omar M, Kockx M, Hubens H: Liver injury related to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid: interlobular bile-duct lesion and extrahepatic manifestations. J Hepatol 22:71–77, 1995

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Higgins PR, Fontana RJ: Liver Transplantation in Acute Liver Failure. Panminerva Med 45:85–94, 2003

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ostapowicz G, Fontana RJ, Schiodt FV, Larson A, Davern TJ, Han SH, McCashland TM, Shakil AO, Hay JE, Hynan L, Crippin JS, Blei AT, Samuel G, Reisch J, Lee WM, U.S. Acute Liver Failure Study Group: Results of a prospective study of Acute Liver Failure at 17 Tertiary Care Centers in the United States. Ann Intern Med 137:947–954, 2002

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Criteria of drug induced liver disorders. Report of an international consensus meeting. J Hepatol 11:272–276, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  9. Maria VAJ, Victorino RMM: Development and validation of a clinical scale for the diagnosis of drug induced hepatitis. Hepatology 26:664–669, 1997

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Danan G, Benichou C: Causality assessment of adverse reactions to drugs-I. A novel method based on the conclusions of international consensus meetings: Application to drug-induced liver injuries. J Clin Epidemiol 46:1331–1336, 1993

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Benichou, C Danan G. Flahault A: Causality assessment of adverse reaction to drug-II. An original model for validation of drug causality assessment methods: case reports with positive rechallenge. J Clin Epidemiol 46:1323–1330, 1993

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Aithal GP, Rawlins MD, Day CP: Clinical Diagnostic scale: a useful tool in the evaluation of suspected hepatotoxic adverse drug reactions. J Hepatol 33:949–952, 2000

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lucena M, Camargo R, Andrade RJ, Perez-Sanchez CJ, Sanchez De La Cuesta F: Comparison of two clinical scales for causality assessment in hepatotoxicity. Hepatology 33:123–130, 2001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. http://Drugtopics.com website: Top 200 drugs in 2002. Accessed October 13, 2003.

  15. Gresser U: Amoxicillin-clavulinic acid therapy may be associated with severe side effects: Review of the literature. Eur J Med Res 6:139–149, 2001

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Limauro DL, Chan-Tompkins NH, Carter RW, Brodmerkel GJ, Jr, Agrawal RM: Amoxicillin/clavulanate associated hepatic failure with progression to Stevens–Johnson syndrome. Ann Pharmacother 33:560–564, 1999

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Ferrando-Vela J, Sanz-Moncasi P, Sevilla-Redondo G, Figueras Villalba P, Martin Algora I: Hepatic failure secondary to hepatitis due to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. Treatment with corticoids. Ann Med Intern 19(10):551–552, 2002

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ersoz G, Karasu Z, Yildiz C, Akarca US, Yuce G, Batur Y: Severe toxic hepatitis associated with amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. J Clin Pharm Ther 26:225–229, 2001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hebbard GS, Smith KG, Gibson PR, Bhathal PS: Augmentin induced jaundice with a fatal outcome. Med J Aust 156:285–228, 1992

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. O'Donohue J. Oien KA, Donaldson P, Underhill J, Clare M, MacSween RN, Mills PR: Co-amoxiclav jaundice: clinical and histological features and HLA class II associations. Gut 47:717–720, 2000

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin 15:6–7, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  22. Shakil AO, Kramer d, Mazariegos GV, Fung JJ, Rakela J: Acute liver failure: clinical features, outcome analysis, and applicability of prognostic criteria. Liver Trans 6:163–169, 2000

    Google Scholar 

  23. Larrey D: Epidemiology and individual susceptibility to adverse drug reactions affecting the liver. Semin Liver Dis 22:145–155, 2002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Zimmerman HJ: Vulnerability of the liver to toxic injury. In Hepatotoxicity: The adverse effects of drugs and other chemicals on the liver. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins 1999

    Google Scholar 

  25. Van der Auwerea P, Legrand JC. Ticarcillin clavulanic acid therapy in severe infections. Drugs Exp Clin Res Suppl 11:805–813, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  26. Reed MD. The clinical pharmacology of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. Pediatr Infect Dis J 17:957–962, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  27. Dinis PB, Monteiro MC, Martins ML, Silva N, Gomes A. Sinus tissue pharmacokinetics after oral administration of amoxicillin/clavulanate acid. Laryngoscope 110:1050–1056, 2000

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Hautekeete ML, Horsmans Y, Van Waeyenberge C, Demanet C, Henrion J, Verbist L, Brenard R, Sempoux C, Michielsen PP, Yap PS, Rahier J, Geubel AP. HLA association of amoxicillin-clavulanate induced hepatitis. Gastroenterology 117:1181–1186, 1999

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Robert J. Fontana MD

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    A. Obaid Shakil MD

  3. Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Joel K. Greenson MD

  4. Adverse Drug Reactions Unit, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Canberra, Australia

    Ian Boyd PhD

  5. Department of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA

    William M. Lee MD

  6. 3912 Taubman Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-0362, USA

    Robert J. Fontana MD

Authors
  1. Robert J. Fontana MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Obaid Shakil MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joel K. Greenson MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ian Boyd PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. William M. Lee MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert J. Fontana MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fontana, R.J., Shakil, A.O., Greenson, J.K. et al. Acute Liver Failure Due To Amoxicillin and Amoxicillin/Clavulanate. Dig Dis Sci 50, 1785–1790 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-005-2938-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-005-2938-5

Key Words

Search

Navigation