Amoxicillin is a widely used antibiotic in COPD. Little is known about the transfer of amoxicillin into sputum of COPD patients. The objective was to investigate the relationship between the concentration of amoxicillin in sputum in hospitalized COPD patients and length of hospitalization. To be effective against bacterial pathogens, the amoxicillin concentration in target tissues should be higher than the Minimal Inhibiting Concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/l. Therefore, this was also used as the cut-off value for the amoxicillin concentration in sputum, as a marker for lung tissue concentration. Fifty-two COPD in-patients with an exacerbation, treated with amoxicillin clavulanic acid, were included in this cohort study. Of these patients 7 also had pneumonia. Patients were divided in patients with an amoxicillin sputum concentration ≥ 2 mg/l and < 2 mg/l. Furthermore, inflammation markers in sputum and serum and clinical parameters were obtained. Of the 33 patients with usable sputum, 11 had a concentration in sputum ≥ 2 mg/l. The mean length of hospitalization for patients with concentrations below the MIC90 to common respiratory pathogens was 11.0 days, while for patients with concentrations at or above the MIC90 this was 7.0 days (p = 0.005). COPD patients admitted for an acute exacerbation of COPD, with a sputum concentration of amoxicillin ≥ 2 mg/l had a markedly reduced length of hospitalization compared to patients with a concentration < 2 mg/l. It is worthwhile testing whether individualized treatment based on sputum amoxicillin concentrations of patients during hospitalization for acute exacerbations can effectively reduce hospital stay.

BackgroundFluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) commonly used in the treatment of depression. While most intoxications with SSRI’s have favorable outcomes and do not require interventions other than strict observation of vital signs and heart rhythm, clinicians should be aware of the life-threatening complications that may occur.Case presentationA 61-year-old woman presented to the emergency department after an intentional multiple drug overdose. Upon examination, she was somnolent with stable respiration and hemodynamics. Electrocardiography showed a prolonged QTc interval of 503 ms. The patient was admitted to the ICU for cardiopulmonary monitoring. During admission, the patient remained stable and showed improved neurologic function over time. After 22 h, a second ECG showed normalization of the QTc interval to 458 ms. However, 36 to 40 h after admission, our patient developed recurrent episodes of Torsades de Pointes (TdP) with loss of cardiac output, leading to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Spontaneous circulation was restored after intravenous administration of magnesium sulphate. Retrospective serum analysis revealed fluoxetine concentrations of 2700 mcg/l.ConclusionMost intoxications with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) have favorable outcomes and do not require medical interventions other than strict cardiopulmonary observation. However, higher doses have been associated with QTc interval prolongation, TdP, serotonin syndrome, and death. This case illustrates that life-threatening complications may occur late in the course of hospital admission. Even though overdoses with SSRI’s generally result in few fatalities, clinicians should be aware of the life-threatening clinical manifestations that may occur. Despite being an imperfect predictor of imminent TdP, continuous monitoring of cardiac rhythm is strongly recommended when either cardiac or non-cardiac symptoms are present.