[Increased bleeding tendency induced by beta-lactam antibiotics].

Bleeding induced by beta-lactam antibiotics was reported for the first time in 1970. The phenomenon has been confirmed in subsequent studies but has never resulted in any general recommendations for, e.g., screening and treatment. Over a period of seven months, we diagnosed in our department three cases of presumed beta-lactam-induced bleeding in patients treated with high-dose penicillin for endocarditis and septic shock.