Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in an Older Patient in the COVID-19 and Paxlovid Era

Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) has been prescribed increasingly for treatment of COVID-19. Due to ritonavir's inhibition of CYP3A4, there are many medication interactions to consider. In this case, a 63-year-old woman recently treated with Paxlovid presented with symptoms mimicking previous...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Katharine Rosiene, Minisha Lohani, Mario Gemmato-Valecillos, Cristina Marti-Amarista, Sadia Abbasi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American College of Physicians 2023-12-01
Series:Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases
Online Access:https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2023.0872
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) has been prescribed increasingly for treatment of COVID-19. Due to ritonavir's inhibition of CYP3A4, there are many medication interactions to consider. In this case, a 63-year-old woman recently treated with Paxlovid presented with symptoms mimicking previous episodes of lupus cerebritis. Imaging, however, revealed a pattern more consistent with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. When Paxlovid therapy was initiated in the ambulatory setting, her amlodipine dose was decreased due to concern for interactions. Since Paxlovid is recommended for patients with high risk for progression to severe illness, this poses a unique challenge, especially in older patients with multiple comorbid conditions.
ISSN:2767-7664