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Case Reports
. 2024 Nov 19;16(11):e74053.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.74053. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Bactrim-Induced Hepatotoxicity

Henry Onyirimba  1 , Ava L Boudi  2 , Max Boudi  3 , Connie S Chan  4 , F Brian Boudi  5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Bactrim-Induced Hepatotoxicity

Henry Onyirimba et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) is a commonly used antimicrobial agent for treating common bacterial infections such as urinary tract infection (UTI), combined with doxycycline for community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and invaluable in Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP), previously classified as Pneumocystis carinii. Of its known adverse reactions, hepatotoxicity rarely comes to mind, but indeed, it is a recognized but very rare adverse reaction that may lead to liver failure in adults and even rarer in children. We present a case of hepatotoxicity in a 43-year-old male patient on no prior medication who developed jaundice and highly elevated liver enzymes one week after the administration of Bactrim for the treatment of UTI in association with prostatism, symptoms of decreased urinary force due to obstruction of flow through the prostate gland. He made a good recovery over several weeks with discontinuation of the medication and supportive care.

Keywords: allergic reaction; cholestatic jaundice; drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; hepatic toxicity; treatment-related toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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