The antibiotic Ketek (telithromycin), which treats upper respiratory infections, has recently been linked to liver disease among patients. Additionally, in an issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, there has been yet another potential complication of the drug including the development of drug-induced hepatitis.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ketek from Sanofi-Aventis in 2004 to treat the following illnesses:

• acute bacterial infections
• chronic bronchitis
• acute bacterial sinusitis
• community-acquired pneumonia

Unfortunately, the drug was recently linked to severe liver failure and liver disease development among patients, however, because it also caused a case of drug-induced hepatitis, it may be critical for scientists and medical professionals to look further into the development of hepatitis as a potential side effect as well.

What is Hepatitis?

The U.S. National Library of Medicines (NLM), which is a service provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), describes hepatitis as a swelling of the liver in which the body cannot adequately digest, store and remove food or poisons within the body. According to the NLM, hepatitis can be treated with drugs, however, it can also last a lifetime in which case an individual must re-evaluate their lifestyle to accommodate the following:

• do not share food
• do not donate blood, plasma, sperm, tissue or body organs
• receive routine ultrasounds and blood tests
• remind doctors, dentists, etc., of our condition
• abstain from alcohol
• review all medications prior to taking them
• tell sexual partners of your condition and take appropriate steps to avoid spreading the condition
• if you become pregnant, your condition must be reported to a doctor to discuss the potential for spreading it onto the unborn baby
• extra care must be taken to avoid contamination of anything with hepatitis infected blood

Each year approximately 280,000 Americans are diagnosed with hepatitis and many of those hepatitis victims are adequately treated. Even those patients who live with hepatitis for the duration of their lives can do so comfortably. However, because hepatitis is a preventable condition, there is no reason why a patient should develop the condition, especially a patient who develops hepatitis while consuming an antibiotic.

Hepatitis Risks

While the majority of hepatitis cases can be successfully treated, there are potential risks that exist with the development of the illness. For example, a victim of hepatitis might develop any of the following conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• The development of portal vein blood pressure, which could cause blood to back up into lower intestine, stomach or esophagus.
• Enlarged varices (veins) in which circulation is blocked and may cause life-threatening bleeding.
• The development of jaundice, which occurs when the liver cannot adequately process the residue of old red blood cells, also bilirubin; this causes skin, eyes and nails to turn yellow.
• Irreversible scarring of the liver, also known as cirrhosis, which can be fatal.

According to the NLM, many patients may be unaware of their condition until complications occur, but some of the major hepatitis symptoms include:

• diarrhea
• stomach pain
• jaundice, yellowing of skin, eyes, nails
• dark-colored urine
• pale bowel movements
• nausea
• vomiting
• loss of appetite

Patients who believe they may have developed hepatitis will likely need to have a liver biopsy or liver panel done to determine their condition, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC).

Overcoming Ketek Dangers

Makers of Ketek continue to manufacture and sell the drug although it has been the subject of an investigation by the FDA and at the center of Congressional hearings, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. However, patients severely affected by the Ketek dangers should consider locating an experienced pharmaceutical attorney that can offer assistance into a potential Ketek class action lawsuit for the irreversible damage it has caused and continues to cause a number of patients.