[A case of ceftazidime-induced pneumonitis].

We report a case of ceftazidime-induced pneumonitis. A 76-year-old man had been treated with cefotiam for acute pneumonia; however, he developed a high fever. On November 8, 1991, cefotiam was changed to ceftazidime and S-sulfonated human immunoglobulin. The patient showed good improvement. Four days after commencement of ceftazidime therapy, he developed chills, rigors, and high fever, with interstitial infiltrates in the right lung of his chest X-ray. On physical examination, small bubbling and crepitant rales were heard at the right lung. Once ceftazidime therapy was discontinued, he showed rapid resolution of symptoms and marked regression of the pulmonary infiltrates in the right lung of his chest X-ray. In view of the above, ceftazidime-induced pneumonitis was considered to be the diagnosis in this case. To our knowledge, there has been no previous case report of pulmonary hypersensitivity to ceftazidime. Clinicians should be alerted to the possibility of the occurrence of such a complication in patients being treated with ceftazidime.