Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global Database

Mulugeta Russom,1 Aziza Afendi,1 Amon Solomon Ghebrenegus1,2 1Eritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre, National Medicines and Food Administration, Asmara, Eritrea; 2Biet-Mekae Community Hospital, Asmara, EritreaCorrespondence: Mulugeta RussomEritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre, National Medicines and Food A...

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Main Authors: Russom M, Afendi A, Ghebrenegus AS
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2020-08-01
Series:Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/amoxicillin-and-risk-of-hearing-loss-analysis-of-reported-cases-submit-peer-reviewed-article-DHPS
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author Russom M
Afendi A
Ghebrenegus AS
author_facet Russom M
Afendi A
Ghebrenegus AS
author_sort Russom M
collection DOAJ
description Mulugeta Russom,1 Aziza Afendi,1 Amon Solomon Ghebrenegus1,2 1Eritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre, National Medicines and Food Administration, Asmara, Eritrea; 2Biet-Mekae Community Hospital, Asmara, EritreaCorrespondence: Mulugeta RussomEritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre, National Medicines and Food Administration, Asmara, EritreaTel + 00291-7197450Email satiswt@gmail.comBackground: Penicillins have never been associated with any form of hearing disorders. The Eritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre recently received two cases of hearing disorder (including one case of deafness) following the intake of amoxicillin capsules. This study was conducted to assess the causal link between amoxicillin and deafness.Methods: Data mining was carried out in the WHO global database of individual case safety reports, VigiBase, and the Austin Bradford-Hill criteria were used to assess causality.Results: A total of 94 cases of ‘hearing disorders’ related to amoxicillin were retrieved from VigiBase. Of these, 49 (52.1%) were reported as “deafness,” and amoxicillin was marked as the sole suspected drug in 18 and the only drug administered in 13 cases. In the rest of the deafness cases (n=31), amoxicillin was concurrently administered with other drugs and reported as co-suspected. The median time to onset was three days and the outcome was marked as recovered (14), recovering (2), not recovered (16) and unknown (17). In five cases, deafness resolved following the withdrawal of amoxicillin.Conclusion: There appears a causal association between amoxicillin and hearing loss that requires further substantiation with better epidemiologic studies.Keywords: amoxicillin, hearing disorder, deafness, VigiBase
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spelling doaj.art-40e5c6db779d4330aa4daa35a48506bf2022-12-22T00:41:25ZengDove Medical PressDrug, Healthcare and Patient Safety1179-13652020-08-01Volume 1214514956439Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global DatabaseRussom MAfendi AGhebrenegus ASMulugeta Russom,1 Aziza Afendi,1 Amon Solomon Ghebrenegus1,2 1Eritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre, National Medicines and Food Administration, Asmara, Eritrea; 2Biet-Mekae Community Hospital, Asmara, EritreaCorrespondence: Mulugeta RussomEritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre, National Medicines and Food Administration, Asmara, EritreaTel + 00291-7197450Email satiswt@gmail.comBackground: Penicillins have never been associated with any form of hearing disorders. The Eritrean Pharmacovigilance Centre recently received two cases of hearing disorder (including one case of deafness) following the intake of amoxicillin capsules. This study was conducted to assess the causal link between amoxicillin and deafness.Methods: Data mining was carried out in the WHO global database of individual case safety reports, VigiBase, and the Austin Bradford-Hill criteria were used to assess causality.Results: A total of 94 cases of ‘hearing disorders’ related to amoxicillin were retrieved from VigiBase. Of these, 49 (52.1%) were reported as “deafness,” and amoxicillin was marked as the sole suspected drug in 18 and the only drug administered in 13 cases. In the rest of the deafness cases (n=31), amoxicillin was concurrently administered with other drugs and reported as co-suspected. The median time to onset was three days and the outcome was marked as recovered (14), recovering (2), not recovered (16) and unknown (17). In five cases, deafness resolved following the withdrawal of amoxicillin.Conclusion: There appears a causal association between amoxicillin and hearing loss that requires further substantiation with better epidemiologic studies.Keywords: amoxicillin, hearing disorder, deafness, VigiBasehttps://www.dovepress.com/amoxicillin-and-risk-of-hearing-loss-analysis-of-reported-cases-submit-peer-reviewed-article-DHPSamoxicillinhearing disorderdeafnessvigibase
spellingShingle Russom M
Afendi A
Ghebrenegus AS
Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global Database
Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety
amoxicillin
hearing disorder
deafness
vigibase
title Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global Database
title_full Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global Database
title_fullStr Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global Database
title_full_unstemmed Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global Database
title_short Amoxicillin and Risk of Hearing Loss: Analysis of Reported Cases Submitted to the WHO Global Database
title_sort amoxicillin and risk of hearing loss analysis of reported cases submitted to the who global database
topic amoxicillin
hearing disorder
deafness
vigibase
url https://www.dovepress.com/amoxicillin-and-risk-of-hearing-loss-analysis-of-reported-cases-submit-peer-reviewed-article-DHPS
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