SUSPECTED ACUTE INTERSTITIAL NEPHRITIS INDUCED BY PIPERACILLIN-TAZOBACTAM

A 51-year-old woman developed an acute onset of renal dysfunction acco mpanied by rash, lumbar pain, arthralgias, fever, eosinophiluria, and an elevated serum creatinine after 6 days of intravenous piperacillin- tazobactam therapy. On discontinuing piperacillin-tazobactam and after a 21-day course of prednisone, the patient's constitutional symptoms dissipated and her renal function returned to baseline. Acute intersti tial nephritis has been reported as an adverse effect of many drugs, i ncluding antibiotics, but not, to our knowledge, after piperacillin-ta zobactam. The time course of events suggested that piperacillin-tazoba ctam was the cause of acute interstitial nephritis in this patient.