Adverse Reactions to Parenteral Lincomycin

Lincomycin use has not been reported exclusively in children and inasmuch as it has been extensively used at our institution, a chart review of 265 patients who received parenteral lincomycin at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day in four divided doses for five days or longer was undertaken. The following conditions were diagnosed: cellulitis, 39%; septic arthritis, 21%; osteomyelitis, 16%; abscess, 13%; lymphadenitis, 9%; and pneumonia, 1%. Cures were achieved in all. The majority of organisms cultured were Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Duration of therapy ranged from five to 63 days, with a mean of 15 days. The lincomycin dose ranged from 75 to 2,400 mg every six hours. The majority of patients received the drug intravenously, but 25.7% received it only intramuscularly. There were no adverse reactions at the administration sites. Only 3% of the patients developed diarrhea, which was not felt to be secondary to the drug. There were no cases of psuedomembranous colitis. Therefore parenteral lincomycin in children appears to be a safe and effective antibiotic when used for infections due to Gram-positive cocci.