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Nonconvulsive status epilepticus associated with cefepime in a patient undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 33, pages 119–120 (2004)Cite this article

Cefepime is a fourth-generation cephalosporin with a spectrum of antibacterial activity including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Consequently, it is a useful extended-spectrum agent for empirical treatment of infections in neutropenic and/or immunosuppressed patients.

The most commonly observed adverse events of cefepime are headache, nausea, skin rash and diarrhoea. The neurological toxicity includes dizziness, insomnia, paraesthesia, anxiety, confusion and seizures.1 Nonconvulsive status epilepticus is an exceptional adverse event that has mainly been observed in patients with chronic renal failure, resulting in excessive serum levels of cefepime.2,3,4,5,6,7 We report a case of nonconvulsive status epilepticus that occurred 48 h after the development of acute renal failure in a patient undergoing autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for Hodgkin's disease (HD). To our knowledge, this complication has not been reported in patients after SCT. (Medline search from 1994 to 2003, keywords: seizure and cephalosporins.)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Hematology, Institut Català, d'Daedogia, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, C/Canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain

    E Plensa, J-M Ribera, M Batlle & A Oriol

  2. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institut Català, d'Daedogia, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, C/Canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain

    E Gallardo & J Costa

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  1. E Plensa
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  2. E Gallardo
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  3. J-M Ribera
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Plensa, E., Gallardo, E., Ribera, JM. et al. Nonconvulsive status epilepticus associated with cefepime in a patient undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 33, 119–120 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704314

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