Tigecycline-induced life-threatening coagulopathy in a patient with a Mycobacterium abscess: a case report and step-by-step diagnostic approach

ABSTRACT

Tigecycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is indicated in the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections and complicated skin and skin and soft-tissue infections. We report the case of a 53-year old kidney transplant patient with a severe Mycobacterium abscess who developed life-threatening coagulopathy after initiation of tigecycline therapy. Further analysis revealed a severe hypofibrinogenemia. A few case reports previously described an association between tigecycline and prolongation of clotting time. Our case confirms an uncommon yet possibly life-threatening side-effect of tigecycline. Medical practitioners should be aware of this potential coagulopathy and we recommend routine monitoring of coagulation parameters in patients receiving tigecycline.

KEYWORDS:

• Tigecycline
• coagulation
• hypofibrinogenemia

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Financial Disclosures

None