HYPOGLYCEMIA CAUSED BY CIPROFLOXACIN IN A NON-DIABETIC ELDERLY PATIENT: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Fluoroquinolones, a commonly used class of antibiotics, can impair glucose homeostasis. Hypoglycemia may be life-threatening in non-diabetic elderly patients with renal impairment. An 80-year-old female patient was admitted to the emergency department with hypoglycemia. The patient was not a diabetic and did not use antidiabetic drugs. Three days prior, she had received ciprofloxacin for a urinary tract infection. During hypoglycemic process, her insulin level was not suppressed. At follow-up in inpatient service, her insulin level had returned to the normal range. Her serum cortisol level was normal, and pancreatic imaging was normal. After ciprofloxacin was discontinued, no further hypoglycemic episodes occurred. Physicians should be careful in prescribing fluoroquinolones in older patients who are prone to hypoglycemia. Moreover, drug-related causes should be considered in cases of unexplained hypoglycemia.