Polymyxin B infusion related respiratory arrest: A case report

Abstract

A 73 years old male, known hypertensive on medication, with the history of SARS-CoV-2 infection nine months ago, presented to us with mucormycosis, he was treated with Liposomal amphotericin B initially. He developed acute kidney injury with recurrent pulmonary oedema requiring ICU admission and Haemodialysis. He later developed catheter related blood stream infection that grew Carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumonia and was started on Polymyxin B. However from day 3 of antibiotics he started to develop recurrent respiratory arrest with no apparent cause. He required a brief period of mechanical ventilation and was successfully weaned. He had recurrent such episodes with no apparent cause. After extensive work up and literature search it was diagnosed as Polymyxin B induced respiratory failure. Polymyxins were stopped, patient was discharged in a stable condition after five days of further observation and is currently on follow up with no such episode of dyspnoea.