Síndrome serotoninérgico debido a la coadministración de linezolid y fentanilo: reporte de caso

Abstract

Serotonergic syndrome is a potentially fatal clinical condition caused by serotonergic hyperactivity associated mainly with the administration of drugs with serotonin metabolism such as SSRIs, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (such as linezolid), among others. Its diagnosis is clinical and is characterized by a triad of manifestations which are: altered state of consciousness, autonomic hyperactivity and neuromuscular alterations. Despite its frequent use in clinical practice, linezolid is a rare cause of this syndrome and, associated with the fact that the diagnosis is clinical and that its treatment is the withdrawal of the triggering drugs, it can sometimes go unnoticed by physicians, making reports in the literature limited, especially in the Latin American population. It is important that the physician always takes into account these drugs and the potential interactions between serotonergic drugs; even more so given the fact that approximately 85% of physicians do not recognize serotonergic syndrome in clinical practice.

The following is a case report of serotonergic syndrome associated with the use of linezolid and fentanyl in a patient admitted to the intensive care unit.