Cefonicid* Seizure: tim repoI1

An otherwise healthy 14-year-old girl was admitted for an appendectomy. The patient received IV cefonicid 1 g preoperatively and 18 hours after surgery. The patient subsequently suffered light headedness, a feeling of 'blacking out', mild tremors of the upper extremities, stiffening of the other extremities and her eyes were fixed. The attack, which only lasted a few seconds, did not recur and an examination was unremarkable. The author concluded that cetonicid may cause seizures when in sufficient concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid and this may arise postoperatively (or in patients with impaired renal function). However, the cause of the seizure in this patient, who had also received pethidine, hydroxyzine and glycopyrrolate preoperatively, is unknown. Tse CST. Madura AJ. Vera FH. Clinical Pharmacy 5: 629. Aug 1986

6 Reactions- 18 Oct 1986 0157-7271/86/1018-0006/0$01.00/0 (c) ADIS Press