Pneumococcal meningitis during antiviral treatment with interferon and ribavirin in a splenectomized patient with chronic hepatitis C - do not miss vaccination before starting therapy

Z Gastroenterol. 2008 Sep;46(9):880-2. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1027149. Epub 2008 Sep 22.

Abstract

We report on a 35-year-old man who developed pneumococcal meningitis while receiving antiviral therapy with interferon (consensus interferon, CIFN) and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. Antibiotic therapy was started four days after the onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, the patient developed a persisting right-sided cochlear hearing impairment. Antiviral therapy led to sustained viral response of hepatitis C. At the age of 14 years he had experienced a hemorrhagic shock after a traffic accident, received multiple blood transfusions and undergone a splenectomy. He had not received vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae. This case report reminds us that splenectomized patients without previous pneumococcal vaccination should receive such vaccination before immunomodulatory treatment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antiviral Agents / adverse effects*
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cefotaxime / administration & dosage
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hearing Loss, Unilateral / etiology
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Interferon Type I / adverse effects*
  • Interferon Type I / therapeutic use
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Pneumococcal / diagnosis
  • Meningitis, Pneumococcal / drug therapy
  • Meningitis, Pneumococcal / etiology*
  • Meningitis, Pneumococcal / prevention & control*
  • Opportunistic Infections / diagnosis
  • Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy
  • Opportunistic Infections / etiology*
  • Opportunistic Infections / prevention & control*
  • Penicillin G / administration & dosage
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Ribavirin / adverse effects*
  • Ribavirin / therapeutic use
  • Risk Factors
  • Splenectomy*

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Interferon Type I
  • Interferon-alpha
  • PavA protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Ribavirin
  • interferon alfacon-1
  • Cefotaxime
  • Penicillin G