Human exposures to tilmicosin (MICOTIL).

Tilmicosin is a new veterinary antibiotic that has significant cardiovascular toxicity when administered in large doses. Over 30 mo, the Ontario Regional Poison Information Centre at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto collected 36 cases of accidental human exposure to tilmicosin. Analysis of the cases revealed that 75% of the patients were exposed to probably less than 1 mL of tilmicosin, that 72% of exposures resulted from needle punctures, and that local symptoms predominated. Based on the information gathered, it is recommended that patients with accidental exposures of less than 1 mL of tilmicosin be treated symptomatically and do not need to be evaluated in a hospital setting.