The FDA just halted clinical trials for using the antibiotic Ketek (telithromycin-a macrolide antibiotic) to treat ear infections and tonsilitis in children because it can cause liver failure, blurred vision and loss of consciousness in adults. Some FDA officials have urged withdrawing Ketek entirely because the danger to patients. Unfortunately, we might need Ketec to treat certain multidrug resistant infections. I would urge that Ketec not be banned (but labelled like hell) so that it can be used as a drug of last resort, in the same way colistin is (which can cause kidney damage).
Mike the Mad Biologist
Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology
Search
Profile
Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology. Comment policy: say what you want, but back it up with an email address. I don't like anonymous trolls.
Recent Posts
- Program Announcement: I'm Moving
- Note to Unions: This Is Not How You Build a Coalition
- Links 8/31/11
- Meet the New New Math, Same As the Old New Math? What We Can Learn from Finland
- Links 8/30/11
- GOP Response to Hurricane Irene: Take More Hostages
- Links 8/29/11
- Not Too Much Storm Damage in Back Bay, Boston
- Goverment Jobs Are Bad, But Government-Subsidized Jobs Are Normal?
- Links 8/28/11
- Things About Hurricane Irene That Make No Sense
- How Can a Boycott Actually Work? The Failure of Consumer Activism
- Links 8/27/11
- I'm Ready for the Hurricane...
- Overseers on the Galtian Planation
- Links 8/26/11
- School Quality Can't Be Separated From Students (and Parents)
- Links 8/25/11
- Getting Fired For Doing Your Job Well: The Everglades Restoration Edition
- A Thousand Jobs in the Hand Are Better Than...
Recent Comments
- custom papers on The Great Mortification of Economics: What Happens When Natural History Is Removed
- Sesli Chat on Meet the New New Math, Same As the Old New Math? What We Can Learn from Finland
- afrika mangosu on Meet the New New Math, Same As the Old New Math? What We Can Learn from Finland
- Footloose on Meet the New New Math, Same As the Old New Math? What We Can Learn from Finland
- Dave on The Fundamental Inconsistency of Ron Paul's Libertarianism
- ancient essays paper on Some Thoughts About the Statistics of the Human Microbiome
- essay papers on Sunday Sermon: Collins on Charter Schools
- Thomas on The Fundamental Inconsistency of Ron Paul's Libertarianism
- jennifer on Goverment Jobs Are Bad, But Government-Subsidized Jobs Are Normal?
- v-pills on Regarding the Ph.D. Glut, Nature's Heart Is in the Right Place, But They're Not Following the Money
Archives
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
Blogroll
- All The World's A Stage, Act For Change
- MyDD
- Chris Mooney
- Thoughts from Kansas
- Pharyngula
- The Public Trust
- Keats' telescope
- Laughing Wild
- groupThink
- Dancing in the Divine
- Craig's Thoughts, Theories, and Tantrums
- media in trouble
- Neo Commons
- MajikThise
- Living the Scientific Life
- YoungFemaleScientist
- Respectful Insolence
- Everyone Loves Hedgical Trevor
- Salon.com
- The Gazetteer
- Nameless Rantings
- dadahead
- She Flies with Her Own Wings
- A Pondering of Fools
- Henry's Webiocosm Blog
- Jon Swift
- Divine Afflatus
- cannablog
- Independent Bloggers' Alliance
- The Thermal Vent
- The Burned Over District
- Mixter's Mix
- Lab Cat
- If I Ran the Zoo
- Rev. BigDumbChimp
- ... ponderings of a fool
- Drinking Liberally in New Milford
- Scientia Natura: Evolution and Rationality
- Middle Raged Punk
- Primordial Blog
- ... ponderings of a fool
- SuportVaccination.Org
- Aetiology
- Big Brass Blog
- driftglass
- Battlepanda
- Pandagon
- skippy the bush kangaroo
- The Scientific Activist
- Deep Weeds
- The Corpus Callosum
- Complex Medium
- This Human Project
- Left in the Heartland
- A Mind Occasionally Voyaging
- Nice Shoes, Wanna Fock?
- Societas
- Skeptico
- Tied To the Tenure Tracks
- The Raven's Gazette
- Studying Biology and Environmental Science
- postgenomic
- Welcome to Shakesville
- Military Religious Freedom Foundation Blog
- Mad Melancholic Feminista
- ¡Viva La Evolución!
- comment is free...
- Melissa McEwan
- Marisacat
- The Panda's Thumb
- King of Zembla
- are you effin' kidding me?
- Eccentricity
- A Concerned Scientist
- Utenzi Blog
- Graphic Truth
- Universal Acid
- Scriptoids
- phronesisaical
- Muton
- A Beginner's Mind
- Altair4 Redux
- PSoTD
- Liberal Street Fighter
- Jon Swift
- Tangled Up in Blue Guy
- Sorting Out Science
- The force that through...
- jobsanger
- no fish, no nuts
- The Barefoot Bum
- ywut
- miriam's ideas
- decrepitoldfool
- Philosophers' Playground
- Yhetti
- Endosymbiosis
- The Crone Speaks
- blue collar scientist
- Crinch Pin
- Moue Magazine
- Balls and Walnuts
- over the cliff, onto the rocks
- Argue With Everyone
- Passing Afternoon
- Centerface! Adventures in Post-Democracy
- La Casa de Los Gatos
- CultureVultures
- Lance Mannion
- Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog
- The Reef Tank
Science Links
These links do not indicate support of this blog's statements by these groups
« Happy Jesus Day! | Main | This New Neighbor Is Game »
Ketek: Did We Just Lose Another Antibiotic?
Posted on: June 10, 2006 2:46 PM, by Mike
TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/7606
Comments
wow.
a patient in my office had a case of acute hepatitis from ketek. i only prescribe it now for resistant cases, it does work quite well.
Posted by: drcharles | June 10, 2006 4:12 PM
I have prescribed ketek exactly 3 times, all from the drug sample closet when we didn't have a z-pack available and all to people without insurance or money. This is wrong in so many ways, but illustrates a tiny piece of what is broken about health care financing in the U.S. Until these folks get (better) insurance, they will be preferentially exposed to potentially dangerous drugs that are not the most appropriate choice for them clinically. None of them got hepatitis and they all got better. Just doing my piece to evolve more resistant pathogens.
Posted by: Dr. Mary | June 11, 2006 9:13 AM
For what sort of multidrug resistant infections have you needed to use Ketex? In spite of (or perhaps because of) a energetic physician thought leader effort to hype the drug,I really did not see a definite use for it.
Posted by: james gaulte | June 12, 2006 3:21 PM
I was on KETEX last October and November and then presented with extremely, critically high enzyme levels in the pancreas that couldn't be explained.I suggested KETEX as that was the new addition but everyone said, no, no, no. I have been experiencing very severe bruising since and am on KETEX again. Now I am wondering if KETEX has been the culprit all along.
Posted by: Omaha | June 14, 2006 10:49 PM
Ketek is a useless drug that contributes little to the formulary and is dangerous. The best Aventis can do is issue warnings?? All that does is shift the liability to the physician.
My previously healthy son took Ketek just before being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. His glucose and urine were normal until after he took Ketek. Coincidence?? Sure, maybe.
I kicked the Aventis reps out of my three clinics. Shameless. All they can do is quote a bunch of bullshit statistics on safety.
Posted by: durksipkins | July 12, 2006 5:06 AM
I would like to go over the last 3 years w/expert regarding Ketex. I am a pack rat and save all especially labs and after Ketex life has been awful. About 6 months after violent allergic episode that I stopped after 3 days, I have had high enzymes and a 1 of 3 in country Hep C sub 4 sub e???. I had cysts cut out now my thyroid is blown up and I was aked if exposed to radiation and now suspicious nodes in throat by voice box. My doc of 20 years during Interferon treatment dropped me. 1st it was missed appointments and when that proved wrong owe money. Since I am a pay as I go and had zero problem with bill it must be computer error. Right before this I was asked by Insurance to see if diabetic and then a month later without notice they stopped treatment for Hep first saying I didn't take. At first I was suspicious of insurance co but for some reason I decided to look up Ketex. I gave up on after Dr at Duke in paper years back couldn't be reached anymore. He was the one with 3 patients dying or liver transplant in a week there. After reading up on it I see so many similiarities to what my life is like. I use to work 100 a week now sleep 24/7 sometimes. Nothing about me is the same and all I want is to feel better. I will not deny I am a little scared and fearful and know I wonder if my doc of 20 years dropped me because of a alert to docs from pharmacy on be on the lookout this patient took Ketex. Stupid I know but the events of last year in particular have me filled with whys and seeking answers.
Posted by: Dori | February 25, 2009 7:18 PM
Ketek is a dangerous drug. I was given this medication over 3 years ago and immediately was put in the hospital for a week and was out of work for a month and a half. And as of now need to go back and get my liver check to see if I am suffering from this medicaton again. I am in constent pain and life is unbareable to manage on some days.
Posted by: DJ | July 6, 2009 8:11 PM