title: Delirium in an adolescent patient during treatment with cephalexin.
abstract: Although cephalosporins are generally safe, they have been reported to cause neurotoxic effects in some subjects. We report on a 16-year-old boy with no previous history of psychiatric illness, who developed symptoms of delirium during treatment of paronychia infection with cephalexin. Possible reasons for our patient's particular vulnerability to adverse drug effects in the central nervous system include his young age, a developmental delay, and an earlier head injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, Lahti, Finland. japepe@utu.fi
authors.forename: Jani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Penttilä
authors.forename: Kaarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pasila
authors.forename: Anssi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiisala
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sipiläinen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002506:Cephalexin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003693:Delirium / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010304:Paronychia / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D002506:Cephalexin