[Dangerous hypoprothrombinemic hemorrhage in antibiotic therapy].

Antibiotics can be associated with hypoprothrombinaemic haemorrhages in risk patients. Risk factors are: poor nutrition, impaired liver- or renal function, coagulation depleting medical therapy or illness. Pathogenetically there is a vitamin K deficiency with reduction of vitamin K dependent clotting factors; mainly by decreased vitamin K synthesis in intestinal bacterias. In consequence every risk patient under antibiotics should receive vitamin K prophylactically and in a parenteral way, because of unreliable resorption in gastrointestinal tract. Prothrombin-time-monitoring is essential to recognize the hypoprothrombinemia in every risk patient under antibiotics.