Acute Pancreatitis due to Erythromycin Overdose

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic overdose is typically regarded as a benign event. We report a 15-year-old girl who developed pancreatitis after an overdose of erythromycin. CASE: A 15-year-old girl presented for care because of severe epigastric pain after an overdose of 5.3 g (16 x 333 mg tablets) of erythromycin base. Her physical examination was normal except for epigastric tenderness. Her serum lipase was 2024 U/L (normal, <60). She was treated with intravenous fluids and an opiate analgesic. Her serum lipase declined to 1834 and 73 U/L at 17 and 36 hours, respectively, after the initial measurement at which time she was asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Our case supports transient pancreatitis as a potential consequence of erythromycin overdose.