Adverse Drug Reactions Journal 2019;21(2):140-141

doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1008-5734.2019.02.013

Sudden deafness caused by azithromycin for injection in a boy with bronchopneumonia

Lei XU 1 ; Junhui WANG 1 ; Li ZHAO 1 ; Feiyu LIU 1 ; Lei ZHANG 1 ; Yinglin WANG 1 ; Haiyan SUN 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Deafness; Hearing loss,sudden; Macrolides; Children; Azithromycin

Country

China

Language

Chinese

Abstract

An 11-year-old boy received Ⅳ infusions of azithromycin for injection 0.5 g for 3 hours once daily and cefotiam for injection 1.0 g thrice daily for bronchopneumonia.The boy did not complain of hearing abnormality before medication.Tinnitus appeared about 2 hours after the beginning of the first and second Ⅳ infusions of azithromycin and disappeared about 2 and 3 hours later,respectively.Additionally,his hearing decreased after the second dose of azithromycin (the pure-tone audiometry showed that the average hearing thresholds of his right and left ears were 43 and 47 dB,respectively).Sensorineural deafness was diagnosed.The boy developed persistent tinnitus and further hearing loss I hour after the beginning of the third Ⅳ infusion of azithromycin (the average hearing thresholds of the right and left ears were 51 and 60 dB,respectively).Azithromycin was discontinued,cefotiam was continued,and extract of ginkgo biloba leaves tablets were given orally (1 tablet twice daily).On day 2 after azithromycin discontinuation,his tinnitus improved.On day 5,his tinnitus disappeared and hearing improved (the average hearing thresholds of the right and left ears were 42 and 49 dB,respectively).On day 40,his hearing improved further (the average hearing thresholds of his right and left ears were 32 and 36 dB,respectively).