Alabama health officials alerted the public on Tuesday of potential adverse events to an antibiotic injection after there were 11 reports of negative reactions.
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) said it was investigating the reports of “symptoms compatible with anaphylactic reaction, including hives, pruritus, hypotension, and hypoxia” that occurred after the injection of the antibiotic ceftriaxone, known by its brand name Rocephin.
The department sent out an alert to Rocephin providers asking them to report any possible reactions to the drug.
“While no causal link between ceftriaxone and these reactions has been established, at this time, ADPH will continue to act to promote the health of citizens of Alabama by investigating, responding, and updating information accordingly,” the ADPH said in a statement to The Epoch Times.
Rocephin is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections such as meningitis, endocarditis, pneumonia, and respiratory tract infections.
“Persons investigated have had a variety of comorbid conditions and no specific causal link between ceftriaxone and these reactions has been identified at this time,” the ADPH said.
The symptoms were “successfully treated” with anaphylaxis measures, the ADPH said.
The ADPH is working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (HQP) and other health care partners “out of an abundance of caution” to determine if there are “epidemiologic links” between the antibiotic and possibly other drugs, such as steroid medications “often administered in conjunction with antibiotics in healthcare settings.”
“While this investigation is ongoing, it is important to keep in mind that, as with any injectable antibiotic, allergic reactions can occur, and measures should be taken to monitor and respond appropriately to such reactions,” the ADPH said.
Injections such as Rocephin are known to cause an allergic reaction in .5 to 2.5 percent of patients.
The CDC’s HQP monitors data on health care-associated infections and antimicrobial-resistant infections and the drugs used to treat them.
The division conducts research “to identify new strategies to prevent infections and related adverse events or medical errors, especially those associated with medical or surgical procedures, indwelling medical devices, contaminated products, dialysis, and water.”
It also collaborates with public health partners like the ADPH “to design, develop, and evaluate the efficacy of interventions for preventing infections and improving antibiotic use and reducing healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, sepsis, and related adverse events or medical errors.”
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