29/08/2025
🟥 Can a Patient Develop MI After IV Ceftriaxone? Yes – It’s Called Kounis Syndrome!
Let us take you back to a rare but real case that was published in 2014 👇
A 65-year-old man was admitted with typical symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). He had stable vitals, a normal ECG, and no chest pain or cardiac history.
Shortly after receiving 1g of IV ceftriaxone, he suddenly developed:
➡️ Epigastric pain
➡️ Shortness of breath
➡️ Then, sudden cardiac arrest! 🚨
🩺 Immediate CPR and intubation were performed.
His ECG? ➡️ ST-segment elevation in inferior leads + 2:1 AV block.
🔍 Coronary angiography revealed tight multiple stenoses in the right coronary artery (RCA) — which were reversed with intracoronary nitroglycerin.
🔄 Post-treatment ECG and echo? Back to normal.
🟢 Discharged in 4 days, safe and sound.
🧠 Diagnosis: Kounis Syndrome
(aka Allergic Angina or Allergic MI)
A rare hypersensitivity reaction where an allergic or anaphylactic event triggers an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
🧬 There are 3 types:
1️⃣ Type I: Coronary spasm with normal coronary arteries
2️⃣ Type II: Coronary spasm or thrombosis in pre-existing atherosclerosis
3️⃣ Type III: Stent thrombosis due to allergic reaction to the stent/drug
In this case, ceftriaxone was the trigger, leading to massive release of histamine, leukotrienes, and inflammatory cytokines.
⚠️ It’s not just ceftriaxone — >30 published cases linked Kounis Syndrome to other antibiotics like:
Amoxicillin
Piperacillin/tazobactam
And others!
💡 Always be vigilant. Even common medications can cause life-threatening reactions.
📢 Share this post — it might save a life.