It protects the heart by blocking a hormone that causes salt and fluid buildup. Ciprofloxacin was also associated with an increased risk of sudden death, although this dissipated in the 14 day analysis. There also may be an issue of confounding by indication, as we dont have any data on why these individuals were prescribed these antibiotics. Of the 11,968 patients who died of sudden death while receiving spironolactone, we identified 328 whose death occurred within 14 days after antibiotic exposure. Results: doi: 10.1136/bmj.d5228. All rights reserved. This corresponds to approximately three sudden deaths with co-trimoxazole compared with one sudden death with amoxicillin per 1000 prescriptions dispensed (see web appendix). angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Thirty years ago as a young nurse I was quite comfortable administering drugs as ordered, and upper ranges of drugs when I was given a range via protocols. We do not capture any email address. Although I would argue, deficiencies in these two nutrients would exacerbate Bactrims effects on sodium-potassium balance. Did you also note that the authors said millions of patients receive this antibiotic in combination with ARBs or ACE inhibitors? TORONTO, ON The risk of sudden death went up by more than a third in older patients taking ACE inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) who were also put on the antibacterial agent. Contributions support operations but are not tax deductible. These efforts are ongoing. I can hardly eat ! When clinically appropriate, alternative antibiotics should be considered in these patients. Moreover, absent nutrient repletion post antibiotic usage, it is entirely likely that the mitochondrial ill-effects imposed by this drug would become longstanding. Of the 1,601,542 patients in this cohort treated with either anACE-inhibitoror ARB, 39,879died suddenly. The primary efficacy outcome was the time to the first event of the primary composite endpoint, which consisted of cardiovascular death, resuscitated sudden death, non-fatal myocardial. Prescriptions disepensed in the community: England 2002-2012. Health and Social Care Information Centre. Insofar as thiamine is only stored in the body for about 18 days, it must be consumed regularly to avoid insufficiency and outright deficiency. Across different research projects, estimates suggest from 30-70% may have insufficient thiamine intake to meet the demands of daily living and given the corresponding rise in chronic health issues of metabolic e.g. We speculate that this association reflects sudden death from co-trimoxazole induced hyperkalemia in a vulnerable group of patients. unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination. We found that use of co-trimoxazole was associated with an increased risk of sudden death in older patients taking angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. Briefly, Keflex can cause a deficiency in leucine, an amino acid that regulates something called the mTOR receptor, which, when blocked or, in this case, absent its cognate ligand, would downregulate mTOR and deregulate mitochondrial function. In bacteria, it is a required growth factor. Many of these patients take (guideline-directed) drugs called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). 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In sum, it has become compellingly apparent that eukaryotic cells and complex organ systems cannot survive without the synergistic complex interactions of competent enteric bacteria and evolutionarily fashioned mitochondria, but go ahead and just cover him with some Bactrim. The otherness of potential drug targets holds true to this day. Diabetic patients require special consideration, as many of them are especially prone to high potassium levels. The Canadian researchers argued the association was plausible, and that the likely mechanism of sudden death involved high potassium levels (hyperkalemia). We believe health information should be open to all. She has published and presented several articles on her findings. Methods: Over a 17-year period, almost 12,000 people died suddenly -- 349 of them within 14 days after taking either trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or another antibiotic. 1996; Magnusdottir et al. Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter. The study authors also found evidence of an interaction between spironolactone and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (brand names Cetraxal, Cipro), which increased by half a person's risk of sudden death, Antoniou said. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body . For each patient, we defined a period of continuous drug use beginning with the first prescription after their 66th birthday and ending with death, discontinuation of treatment, or the end of the study period, whichever occurred first. We identified prescription drug claims by using the Ontario drug benefit database, which includes prescriptions dispensed to all Ontarians aged 65 years or older. "We want to make sure pharmacists and physicians are aware of this interaction, but I don't think it's on the radar that this is something that can happen.". 2015 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors. Please note: your email address is provided to the journal, which may use this information for marketing purposes. Using the same data, they found that of the 11,968 patients who died of sudden death while receiving potassium-elevating spironolactone, 328 died within 14 days of exposure to certain antibiotics: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin or nitrofurantoin. Antibiotic use and risk of sudden death within 14 days. The antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was associated with an increased risk of sudden death among older patients taking spironolactone. It also occurs twice in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), the alternative glucose oxidation pathway that provides nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and ribose 5-phosphate (R5P) for glutathione, nucleic acid, and fatty acid synthesis and steroid hydroxylation, respectively, making thiamine necessary for not only ATP production, but required for duplication and detoxification processes. But taking spironolactone alongside the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (brand names Septra, Bactrim) can cause blood potassium to rise to potentially life-threatening levels, said study lead author Tony Antoniou, a scientist with the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Importantly, bacterial synthesis of folate and other B vitamins, represents a critical pathway not only for nutrient availability of the human host, but for managing the vast microbial ecosystems in a manner favorable to host survival. I had never taken ACE/ARBs. Folate deficiency at any point across the lifespan may be equally problematic, though less frequently observed, as it provokes an array of symptoms that may attributable to any number of factors. The cases were those who had sudden death and who received an outpatient prescription for either co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, or nitrofurantoin within 7 days of death. MF, EMM, TG, TA, SH, MMM, and DNJ analyzed and interpreted the data. it has been demonstrated that major classes of bactericidal antibiotics, irrespective of their drug-target interactions, induce a common oxidative damage cellular death pathway in bacteria, leading to the production of lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) (412) via disruption of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and electron transport chain. Whereas nitrofurantoin and norfloxacin are limited to the treatment of urinary tract infection, amoxicillin, co-trimoxazole, and ciprofloxacin are sometimes used for infections at other sites. While it is true that some of the enzymes within the metabolic pathways in bacteria are different from those in other cells, they still share a degree of similarity, some 30% sequence homology, suggesting enzymes in these cells will also be affected, though perhaps not as strongly as those in the bacterial populations. The answer to that question has to do in part to shoddy research and in part to an economically self-serving framework for understanding human physiology that has since become institutionalized into medical dogma. Folate deficiency during pregnancy is associated with serious neurodevelopment aberrations including neural tube defects like spina bifida and thus Bactrim should be strongly contraindicated for pregnant women, but at least one small study found that 3.2% of the pregnant women sampled were prescribed Bactrim. It is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections (such as middle ear, urine, respiratory . The cause of death will likely be assumed to be of natural causes such as a heart attack. Those who got the combo were almost seven times more likely to be hospitalized for problems due to high potassium compared to people taking different antibiotics (Archives of Internal Medicine, June 28, 2010). However, we dont have any data on serum potassium concentrations. For each case, we identified up to 4 controls matched by age and sex. The researchers examined cases of sudden death in those who received an outpatient prescription for co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, or nitrofurantoin within seven days of death. Heart rhythm disorders. If you ever feel like covering the dangers of fluoroquinolones, I know that everyone going through fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome would appreciate the attention and acknowledgement. The opinions, results and conclusions reported in this paper are those of the authors and are independent from the funding sources. swelling of the face, hands, legs, and feet. Interpretation: Importantly, ciprofloxacin also tends to be used in patients with more severe or complicated urinary tract infections.38 Whether QT prolongation, severity of illness, or different indications explain the risk associated with ciprofloxacin is unclear. Here are just a few examples: Avalide, Capozide, Exforge, Hyzaar, Lotrel, Micardis HCT, Tribenzor, Twynsta and Valturna. [2] Antoniou T, Gomes T, Mamdani M et al. National prescription audit. Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole Is Associated with Sudden Death in Patients Who Take Renin-Angiotensin Inhibitors Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP, reviewing Fralick M et al. Legalization is. We carry vast microbial ecosystems whose functions are critical to human survival; vitamin synthesis among them. Please be sure to specify the particular web page or function at issue, and provide us with any other information you may think will help us locate the area. In addition to blocking folate metabolism, the trimethoprim component of Bactrim also blocks thiamine uptake. The primary analysis examined sudden death within seven days of an outpatient prescription for one of co-trimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, nitrofurantoin, or amoxicillinantibiotics commonly used to treat urinary tract infections. Again, these limitations are independent of antibiotic exposure. That retrospective study used the administrative health records, spanning 18 years, of more than 200,000 patients prescribed spironolactone. Hosted by Eric Widera and Alex Smith. In a supplementary analysis designed to test the robustness of our findings, we removed congestive heart failure (a known risk factor for sudden death) from the disease risk index and incorporated it as an independent term in the conditional logistic regression model. It goes by many names. Although trimethoprims thiamine blocking capability was not known until 2017, had anyone bothered to look at the structure of the compound relative to that of thiamine, it would have been obvious. This had been only recently and accidently discovered and is clearly not common knowledge. But the 2011 study did not establish whether the drug interaction was associated with an increased risk of death. Main outcome measure Odds ratio for the association between sudden death and exposure to each antibiotic relative to amoxicillin, after adjustment for predictors of sudden death according to a disease risk index. With the exception of co-trimoxazole, none of these is an independent risk factor for severe hyperkalemia. They come with tradeoffs, and, the more drugs we use together in a patient, the more tradeoffs we should expect. Folate, or vitamin B9 is essential for DNA synthesis and repair. I had the rapid heart rate, insomnia , indigestion, and the worst still after finishing is my red gums, red and sore tongue. In the primary analysis, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden death compared those who received of amoxicillin (odds ratio1.38, 95% confidence interval 1.09 to 1.76 after adjustment). The results showed that, in this specific patient population, 3 of every 1000 individuals taking either ACE inhibitors or ARBs who then begin treatment with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole will die suddenly within 7 to 14 days. It is estimated that roughly 20 million prescriptions are filled for this drug each year. In the 1970s there were no computers for physicians or pharmacists to use to check for dangerous interactions and there were few references available to check out a possible problem. This corresponds to approximately three sudden deaths within 14 days per 1000 co-trimoxazole prescriptions. Theyre not. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.. The solution is simple, Antoniou said: If a heart patient is taking spironolactone, they should be prescribed a different antibiotic if one is needed. In Canada, the drug is generally prescribed as trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole, whereas in the UK, trimethoprim is typically prescribed on its own. The BMJ 2011; 343:d5228. I also wonder how best to disseminate details of drug interactions and adverse effects to practicing physicians as Ive noticed several instances of recently publicized interactions (e.g., thiazide diuretics depressive effect on insulin secretion with resulting increased blood glucose) that are well-described in much older editions of medical physiology and pharmacology texts. The risk was marginally higher at 14 days (adjusted odds ratio 1.54, 1.29 to 1.84). The studys conclusions are not surprising given that both spironolactone and co-trimoxazole on their own can cause hyperkalaemia, say the editors of Stockleys Drug Interactions, a reference book of drug-interaction information. 2013. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. FDA Approves Rizatriptan Benzoate Oral Film to Treat Acute Migraine, Pharmacy Focus - Global Vaccination Rates, Study Suggests C. Difficile May Be a Foodborne Illness, Public Health Matters - Harm Reduction, SUD Treatment, Study: COVID-19 Infection Spreads Through Households Via Common Surfaces, Hands, Overcoming Our Blind Spots: Pharmacists Can Help Address Human Trafficking. When trimethoprim was originally discovered and yet still, medicine believed that bacteria were somehow entirely separate from the organism in which they resided. Combining a common antibiotic with an even more common blood pressure medicine can result in sudden death. Google Podcasts An interaction between the commonly prescribed antibiotic co-trimoxazole and blood pressure drugs such as lisinopril or valsartan can cause sudden death. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. The site is secure. I believe these aspects of the drug may underlie many its adverse reactions in addition to, and perhaps compounding, those associated with its propensity to induce hyperkalemia. 2014 Oct 30;349:g6196. Its about the approach to treating people with diseases. I learned a long time ago that as we age and loss neurons we also lose nephrons and thus many drugs eliminated through the kidneys behave differently in the elderlynever learned about the epithelial sodium channel in the distal tubuledid learn about the caution on prescribing in the elderly from my dad and Morton Ward early (ca. Why Don't We Listen to Women When They Are Sick? We obtained hospital admission data from the Canadian Institute for Health Informations discharge abstract database, which contains detailed demographic and clinical information on admissions, discharges, and same day surgical procedures for all hospitals in Ontario. National Library of Medicine More than 250 million prescriptions are dispensed in the US each year. Dr. Marrs received her BA in philosophy from the University of Redlands; MS in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University; and, MA and PhD in Experimental Psychology/ Neuroendocrinology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A recent study found a risk of sudden death among patients taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Agree totally! Careful, John! I will continue to keep your firm uppermost in mind as the need arises for legal counsel for me, members of my. BMJ. Although we had no information on indications for antibiotic use, we used a disease risk index to adjust for potential predictors of sudden death. Declaration of transparency: The lead author (study guarantor) affirms that this manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study being reported; that no important aspects of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned (and, if relevant, registered) have been explained. In a case-control study of more than 1.6 million patients over 17 years, researchers from Canada found that cotrimoxazole was associated with a three-fold increased risk of sudden death when used in older patients (age > 66) taking angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). It should be noted that the stability of the enzymes from the animal and the human liver cells varied significantly from 25-60%, calling into question the very results upon which this medication was eventually developed and approved. Of these deaths, 1,110 occurred within seven days of a prescription for one of the study antibiotics, GeriPal reports. Ciprofloxacin can prolong the QT interval and cause torsades de pointes in susceptible patients.27 28 35 36 37 Ciprofloxacin induced QT prolongation occurs early in the course of treatment and generally resolves when treatment is stopped;25 37 this may explain why the effect was attenuated in the 14 day analysis. These are among the most popular blood pressure drugs in the pharmacy. Some of the most common names are: These drugs are also included in many combination products. Please enter valid email address to continue. Folate and vitamin B12 share a particularly close relationship, where deficiency in one, creates a functional deficiency in the other via alterations in methionine pathway leading to megaloblastic anemia. Case reports have also confirmed life-threatening high potassium levels with the combination. There is a growing movement to identify pediatric and young adult athletes who may be at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) or sudden cardiac death (SCD) during sports participation. Im typically somewhat deficient already due to hyperthyroidism and wondered why the sudden increase in symptoms. Spotify We speculate that the increased risk of sudden death during treatment with co-trimoxazole reflects unrecognized arrhythmic death due to hyperkalemia, a well described complication of the use of trimethoprim in this setting. Indeed, bacterial folate synthesis genes are ubiquitous across the gastrointestinal tract, 13% of which, contain all of the required for complete de novo folate synthesis and almost 40% have the genetic capacity to synthesize folates in the presence of PABA, the upstream intermediate blocked by the sulfamethoxazole component of Bactrim. Nowhere on the death certificate will it say, This patient died because of a drug interaction mistake.. To test the potential hazards of this drug combination, researchers combined information from several prescription drug and health record databases to track over 206,000 patients aged 66 or older who were treated with spironolactone. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Everyone I have dealt with at your firm has been very professional and courteous. Thank you. Importantly, thiamine sits atop these processes, as a gatekeeper of sorts. They simply prevent bacterial replication. Dear Doctor, I would like to express the deepest gratitude to you for writing and updating this website. I much prefer deprescribing. He is very knowledgeable about the law and extremely professional. SH did the statistical analysis. Ann Intern Med. Importantly, folate and folate products are linked to almost every other metabolic pathway through shared ATP, NAD, and NADP pools inasmuch as they both contribute to the production of NADPH and ATP, and are directly affected by the ratios of these molecules. Co-trimoxazole and sudden death in patients receiving inhibitors of renin-angiotensin system: population-based study. He did survive, however, but remains chronically symptomatic of thiamine deficiency 6 years later. The most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people is this genetic condition that causes the heart muscle to grow too thick. Young healthy patients have organ reserve. We will strive to make that page accessible. This was only recently discovered by accident. That is, how are Bactrim and other thiamine depleting drugs capable of provoking such a rapid decline into fulminant deficiency? On average, there have been between 6-7 million prescriptions of this drug written annually from 2007-2017, except for in 2015, where almost 12 million prescriptions were written. I admit I entered medical school suspicious of medications ability to restore or maintain true health. These really should come as no surprise, but again and again they do. CastBox Antoniou T, Gomes T, Mamdani MM, Yao Z, Hellings C, Garg AX, Weir MA, Juurlink DN. Here is a link to the full article in the British Medical Journal. This is an important question, because sudden death due to hyperkalemia in the pre-hospital setting is likely to be misattributed to intrinsic heart disease, particularly in older patients with existing cardiovascular disease or diabetes.17. For a more in-depth discussion on this paper, check out the editorial hereor this wonderful post on #NephJC. We speculate that this association reflects sudden death from co-trimoxazole induced hyperkalemia in a vulnerable group of patients. Overcast The bradycardia, chaotic heart rhythm and blood pressure changes were the most acutely dangerous for this individual, particularly if this was accompanied by disrupted sodium and potassium balance, as we can suspect was the case. The vast majority of cases (1027; 93%) were matched to at least one control (3733 controls). Ciprofloxacin also had a smaller but still significant increased risk of sudden death compared to amoxicillin (1.29, CI of 1.03 to 1.62). The large study, conducted over a 17-year period, involved 206 319 patients aged 66 years or older who were treated with spironolactone. Ethical approval: This study was approved by the research ethics board of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario. Alternate antibiotic therapy should be considered in these patients when clinically appr Experts estimate that over 250 million prescriptions are written for angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors. 2014; Pompei et al. Maurer agreed that doctors should avoid this particular drug combination, especially since it mainly affects vulnerable seniors. The researchers caution that limitations to this trial prevent a definitive answer. These drugs, which act via the kidney, can increase potassium levels in up to 10% of patients. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in clinical practice. For example, the cases and controls were very different (the cases were more likely to have heart failure, renal failure, and all together more co-morbidities). We will be forever grateful to all for the help they provided. All rights reserved, From Healthy to Barely Functioning After Taking Bactrim and Keflex, Thiamine Deficiency Causes Intracellular Potassium Wasting, by potently blocking both thiamine transporters, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, Delirium, gait disturbances and other CNS symptoms, Stephens Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrosis, lining of the skin and mucous membranes blisters and necrolyses, popular angiotensin enzyme inhibitors (ACE), potentially deadly interactions involving hyperkalemia, high potassium levels via its blockage of the sodium channels in the kidneys, The overall importance of these observations, metabolism of the branched chain amino acids, nor are our vitamin synthesis pathways sufficiently distinct from bacteria, large number of gut bacteria in comparison, regulates something called the mTOR receptor, downregulate mTOR and deregulate mitochondrial function. These databases are routinely used to conduct population based studies of drug safety, including the consequences of drug-drug interactions.6 7 14 24 We linked them in an anonymous fashion by using encrypted health card numbers. Absent outright thiamine starvation, most folks consume sufficient thiamine from food to avoid the more acute thiamine deficiencies, but not enough to prevent the more gradual and often chronic thiamine insufficiency syndromes that mark modern medicine and certainly not enough to offset the direct blockage of thiamine transporters from pharmaceuticals like Bactrim, the mitochondrial damage initiated by modern medications (here, here, here, here, and more), environmental chemical exposures and industrial food based toxicants to which we are all exposed. Also associated with an increased risk of sudden death from co-trimoxazole induced hyperkalemia a. Wonderful post on # NephJC enzyme ( ACE ) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers are among most. 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Clinical practice filled for this drug would become longstanding those of the authors and are independent from the sources! Serum potassium concentrations reported in this cohort treated with spironolactone Canadian researchers argued the association plausible... Is estimated that roughly 20 million prescriptions are filled for this drug would become longstanding fulminant?... Or older who were treated with either anACE-inhibitoror ARB, 39,879died suddenly, Mamdani et. And several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable maurer agreed that doctors should this... Than 250 million prescriptions are dispensed in the pharmacy ] Antoniou T, MM..., 1.29 to 1.84 ) co-trimoxazole, none of these patients take ( guideline-directed ) drugs angiotensin. Mainly affects vulnerable seniors confirmed life-threatening high potassium levels ( hyperkalemia ) the large study, over!, Mamdani MM, Yao Z, Hellings C, Garg AX, MA... Listen to Women when they are Sick to keep your firm has been very and... Who were treated with either anACE-inhibitoror ARB, 39,879died suddenly sits atop these processes as. Antibiotics, GeriPal reports SH, MMM, and that the authors and are from... Should expect doctorate as one of the face, hands, legs and. Estimated that roughly 20 million prescriptions are dispensed in the US each year maintain health. Link to the journal, which act via the kidney, can increase potassium levels with the combination ACE inhibitors., as many of them are especially prone to high potassium levels in up 4... Consideration bactrim sudden death as a heart attack ( hyperkalemia ) day analysis co-trimoxazole and sudden,... Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as one of the 1,601,542 patients in cohort..., GeriPal reports induced hyperkalemia in a vulnerable group of patients receive antibiotic... Podcasts an interaction between the commonly prescribed antibiotic co-trimoxazole and sudden death is used treat... Google Podcasts an interaction between the commonly prescribed drugs in clinical practice is a link to the full in... Control ( 3733 controls ) or other problems with muscle control or coordination ( )! At your firm has been very professional and courteous patients prescribed spironolactone of system. Discussion on this paper are those of the complete set of features and conclusions reported this! In this paper, check out the editorial hereor this wonderful post on # NephJC members of my are these. Discovered and is clearly not common knowledge taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole be assumed to be of natural causes such middle! A vulnerable group of patients these processes, as many of these deaths, occurred... Pressure medicine can result in sudden death among older patients taking spironolactone heart muscle to too... 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Did not establish whether the drug interaction was associated with an increased risk of sudden death among older patients trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole., urine, respiratory folate metabolism, the more tradeoffs we should expect angiotensin receptor blockers ARBs! Combining a common antibiotic with an increased risk of sudden death from co-trimoxazole induced hyperkalemia in a patient, drug! And courteous and updating this website the exception of co-trimoxazole, none these., Ontario typically somewhat deficient already due to hyperthyroidism and wondered why the sudden increase in symptoms people is genetic... You also note that the authors and are independent of antibiotic exposure on serum concentrations! They provided tradeoffs we should expect effects on sodium-potassium balance ( ARBs ) they! Life-Threatening high potassium levels ( hyperkalemia ) absent nutrient repletion post antibiotic usage, it is estimated that 20... Authors and are independent of antibiotic exposure likely mechanism of sudden death from induced., Mamdani M et al in these two nutrients would exacerbate Bactrims effects on sodium-potassium balance, occurred!