Ceftriaxone use in brucellosis: A case series

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella spp. It can be either uncomplicated or complicated when it disseminates to other organs. Treatment for brucellosis involves a combination of at least two antibiotics, or more in complicated brucellosis. Limited data exist on the use of ceftriaxone in the clinical setting. Therefore, we present patient cases in which ceftriaxone was used in brucellosis treatment regimen. METHODS: Patients with documented brucellosis from January 2008 to December 2018 were evaluated for the use of ceftriaxone for treatment in King Abdulaziz Univeristy Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Patients’ data were evaluated retrospectively and are described. RESULTS: Out of 94 treated brucellosis patients, six patients received ceftriaxone 2 g IV every 12 h for therapy for varied durations. Four had neurobrucellosis, one had Brucella epididymo-orchitis and one had uncomplicated brucellosis. All six patients experienced clinical cure, though one neurobrucellosis patient had complications and one had ceftriaxone stopped after one week of therapy due to presumed antibiotic-induced fever. CONCLUSION: Ceftriaxone represents a reasonable option for the treatment of complicated brucellosis when added to the initial regimen at a dose of 2 g IV every 12 h.