Piperacillin-Tazobactam Drug-Induced Thrombocytopenia: Diagnosis Based on Clinical Criteria

Drug-induced thrombocytopenia (DITP) is an uncommon but well-documented adverse drug reaction. DITP can be diagnosed based on clinical and laboratory criteria. Clinical criteria include severe acute thrombocytopenia (platelet nadir < 20 × 103/μL within 1 week of culprit drug exposure) with bleeding and exclusion of other causes of thrombocytopenia. Antibiotics such as vancomycin, penicillin derivatives, and linezolid have been implicated in DITP. This case report describes a patient who was diagnosed with piperacillin-tazobactam DITP based on clinical criteria with full platelet recovery after piperacillin-tazobactam cessation.