AN ACUTE PSYCHOTIC DISORDER CAUSED BY PEFLOXACIN - A CASE-REPORT

1. The patient, a 59 year old woman, developped a state of acute excit ation several hours after the administration of 400 mg of the fluorqui nolone pefloxacin in combination with 1000 mg paracetamol. Nine days l ater, after a total dosage of pefloxacin of 800 mg, she was admitted t o our hospital with a psychotic disorder. 2. There was a full remissio n of symptoms after treatment with perazine up to a dosage of 500 mg/d ay. 3. Three years ago, the patient had developped a manic state under a medication with corticosteroids. 4. So far, the mechanism of - in t his case - long-lasting central nervous side effects of fluorquinolone s is not known. In patients with increased vulnerability of the CNS or in advanced age the application of fluorquinolones should be consider ed critically, in particular in combination with non-steroidal antiinf lammatory drugs.