A CASE OF DRUG- INDUCED PANCREATITIS

KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE (KCM) Acute pancreatitis may rarely occur within days of starting ciprofloxacin.Clinicians should suspect drug-induced pancreatitis in patients with new abdominal pain during fluoroquinolone therapy, as prompt discontinuation and supportive care can lead to rapid recovery.ABSTRACT Drug-induced pancreatitis is a rare but important cause of acute abdominal pain, and ciprofloxacin-associated cases are exceptionally uncommon.We report a 35-year-old woman with no significant medical history who developed severe epigastric pain radiating to the back, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, three days after initiating self-prescribed ciprofloxacin for diarrhea.Laboratory tests revealed markedly elevated serum amylase and lipase, and contrast-enhanced CT confirmed acute interstitial pancreatitis.Common causes including gallstones, alcohol use, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercalcemia, and viral hepatitis were excluded.Ciprofloxacin was discontinued, and the patient was managed with intravenous fluids, bowel rest, and analgesia, leading to rapid clinical and biochemical improvement within four days.Given the temporal relationship, exclusion of alternative etiologies, and supportive causality assessments, ciprofloxacin was considered the probable cause.This case underscores the importance of considering druginduced pancreatitis in patients presenting with new-onset abdominal pain during fluoroquinolone therapy, as prompt drug withdrawal and supportive care can result in swift recovery and prevent complications.