Lincomycin characteristics, what it is for, effects

4563
Jonah Lester

The lincomycin is a natural antibiotic belonging to the group of lincosamides, which is extracted from a bacteria called Streptomyces lincolnensis. Se can be administered orally, intramuscularly or intravenously.

It is an antibiotic indicated in the treatment of serious infections caused by sensitive gram-positive aerobic strains, such as streptococci, pneumococci and staphylococci, or by susceptible anaerobic bacteria.

Image recovered from TQFarma.

Article index

  • 1 What is lincomycin for?
  • 2 Contraindications
  • 3 Precautions
  • 4 Interactions
  • 5 Side effects
  • 6 Presentations and uses
  • 7 Tips
  • 8 Research and other applications
  • 9 References

What is lincomycin for?

It is normally indicated in patients allergic to penicillin or in cases where the doctor considers that the use of penicillin is not adequate. It is easily absorbed by most tissues, so it is effective in treating infections caused by germs sensitive to this substance, such as:

  • Upper airways: tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis, scarlet fever and as adjunctive treatment in diphtheria.
  • Lower airways: acute and chronic bronchitis and pneumonia.
  • Skin and soft tissues: boils, cellulitis, impetigo, abscesses, acne, wound infections, erysipelas, lymphadenitis, paronychia, mastitis and cutaneous gangrene.
  • Bones and joints: osteomyelitis and septic arthritis.
  • Septicemia and endocarditis.
  • Bacillary dysentery.

Contraindications

Lincomycin is not indicated for the treatment of mild or viral infections..

Orally, the presentation of lincomycin (capsules) usually contains lactose, so it is contraindicated in patients with intolerance to this component.

The injectable solution presentation contains benzyl alcohol, so it should not be administered to premature infants or infants less than one month old..

It should not be administered in patients who are hypersensitive or allergic to this active principle or to clindamycin. It should also not be given to people who have or have had monilial infections. It is not indicated in patients with meningitis or acute renal failure..

Precautions

Lincomycin should be administered with great care in people with the following conditions:

  • Neuromuscular disorders or under treatment with neuromuscular blockers: since lincomycin has blocking properties and can double or increase its effect on the patient.
  • Colitis or a history of this condition.
  • Liver or kidney conditions (acute kidney failure).
  • Endocrine or metabolic diseases.

There is a risk of pseudomembranous colitis and growth of non-susceptible organisms. The treating physician must make a functional assessment of the involved organs before and during treatment with lincomycin, especially if it must be prolonged. It is suggested to perform liver, kidney and blood count tests regularly..

As with other antibiotics, lincomycin treatment has been associated with episodes of severe colitis, which can be life-threatening. In the event of diarrhea, stop treatment immediately and consult a doctor..

Like any other drug, lincomycin should be administered by prescription and medical monitoring during pregnancy and lactation..

Although a study carried out in 322 pregnant women who were administered 500 milligrams of lincomycin four times a day for a week did not present any harmful effects on the mother or the fetus, there are no sufficiently controlled and documented studies, so there are no can guarantee its safety in the fetus.

In the case of breastfeeding, the antibiotic is eliminated through breast milk, which is why it is considered incompatible with breastfeeding and it is necessary to resort to substitute medications or suspend breastfeeding..

Interactions

Lincomycin alters (raises) the analytical values ​​of transaminases (ALT / SGGPT AST / SGOT) and alkaline phosphatase in the blood. It antagonizes erythromycin and is cross-resistant when co-administered with clindamycin. It also interacts with the following medications or components:

  • Chloroform
  • Cyclopropane
  • Enflurane
  • Halothane
  • Isoflurane
  • Methoxyflurane
  • Trichlorethylene
  • Kanamycin and novobiocin
  • Erythromycin

Finally, the absorption of lincomycin is reduced if it is administered together with antidiarrheals that reduce intestinal motility or absorbents, so it is recommended to avoid the intake of food or beverages from two hours before to two hours after taking the drug.. 

The intake of alcoholic beverages together with this antibiotic increases the risk of side effects.

Side effects

Like any medicine, lincomycin can produce certain adverse reactions that may appear more or less frequently in each patient, ranging from very common (more than 1 in 10 patients), frequent (1-10 in 100 patients), uncommon ( 1-10 out of 1000 patients), rare (1-10 out of 10,000 patients) and very rare (less than 1 in 10,000 patients).

Some of these adverse reactions can be:

  • Gastrointestinal: nausea and vomiting; glossitis, stomatitis, abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea and / or colitis and anal itching. Esophagitis in the case of oral administration of the drug.
  • Hematopoietic: neutropenia, leukopenia, agranilocytosis and thrombocytopenic purpura. In some isolated cases, aplastic anemia and pacytopenia have been reported in which lincomycin has not been ruled out as the causative agent..
  • Hypersensitivity: angioneurotic edema, serum sickness and anaphylaxis. Rare cases of erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
  • Skin and mucous membranes: pruritus, skin rash, urticaria, vaginitis and rare cases of exfoliative dermatitis and vesiculo-bullous dermatitis.
  • Hepatic: Jaundice and abnormalities in liver function tests. A relationship between possible functional liver disorders and lincomycin has not been established..
  • Renal: rare cases of elevated urea, oliguria and proteinuria; causal relationship with the use of lincomycin has not been established.
  • Cardiovascular: hypotension and rare cases of cardiorespiratory arrest; both reactions in cases of parenteral administration (intramuscular or intravenous) rapid or little dilute.
  • About the senses: Tinnitus (bumps or sounds inside the ear) and occasionally vertigo.
  • Localized reactions: irritation, pain and abscess formation on intramuscular administration, or thrombophlebitis at the injection site.

Although side effects usually occur at the time of administration of the drug, in some cases they can occur up to several weeks after you have stopped taking it..

Presentations and uses

Lincomycin can be presented in capsules (500mg) and injectable ampoules (600mg / 2 ml intramuscular or intravenous).

  • Intramuscular use: adults 600mg / 2 ml every 12-24 hours depending on the severity of the case. Children older than one month: 10 mg / kg every 12-24 hours depending on the severity of the case.
  • Intravenous use: adults and children, diluted as an infusion in a concentration determined by the doctor depending on the severity of the case.
  • Subconjunctival use: for the treatment of eye infections, 75 mg / dose.
  • Oral use: adults 1 capsule of 500 mg 3 or 4 times a day, depending on the severity of the case.
  • Children older than one month: 3060 mg / kg / day divided into 3 or 4 doses, depending on the severity of the case.
  • Patients with kidney failure: they should take proportionally smaller doses of this medicine.

Advice

Like most antibiotics, it is advisable to complete the treatment indicated by the doctor, even when the symptoms of the disease for which they were prescribed have diminished or disappeared completely..

This becomes much more important in the case of treatment for streptococcal infection; Serious heart problems can develop in the medium or long term if the infection has not been completely cured.

It is also important to comply with the periodicity in the intake or application of the drug, since it works better when there is a constant amount in the blood. If a dose is missed it should be taken as soon as possible.

However, doubling the dose is not recommended in the case of longer forgetfulness. It is advisable in these cases to allow 2 to 4 hours to pass between the forgotten dose and the next one..

If any allergic reaction or abnormality is observed after the administration of the medicine, its use should be stopped immediately and consult with the doctor..

Research and other applications

An experiment in rats carried out in Brazil concluded that the use of topical lincomycin is effective in repairing the periodontal ligament and restoring the dentoalveolar joint, in addition to reducing inflammation in cases of dental reimplantation.

Used in veterinary medicine, lincomycin has been shown to be effective in the control of respiratory diseases in pigs and for the promotion of growth, mainly in the pig starter stage..

It has also been used successfully in uncomplicated superficial cases of canine pyoderma, one of the most common skin diseases in dogs..

The use of lincomycin has been found to be highly effective in the treatment of acute tonsillitis and acute sinusitis..

References

  1. Monograph copyrighted by Vidal Vademecum (2016). Recovered from vademecum.es.
  2. Lincomycin: Information for Patients. Recovered from medizzine.com.
  3. Although in the antibiogram the Shigella that produces bacillary dysentery appears resistant to lincomycin, in many cases it has proven to be effective due to the high levels found in the intestinal content.
  4. Nascimento, Dias and others (2009). Effect of lincomycin treatment of root surface in dental replantation: A study in rats. Recovered from revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br.
  5. Salleras J.M (1987). Lincomicine effects on the control of swine respitory diseases. National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA). Recovered from agris.fao.org.
  6. Rejas López J. and others (1998). Pyoderma Canina, what antibiotic to use? Little animals. 22-31. Recovered from agrovetmarket.com.
  7. Montiel, Rodríguez and Oñate (1985). Efficacy of lincomycin in the treatment of acute tonsillitis. Recovered from bases.bireme.br.
  8. Suáres, Suáres, Uriol and Mercado (1992) Comparative study of the efficacy of two lincomycin regimens in the treatment of acute sinusitis. Recovered from bases.bireme.br.

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