A case report of acute kidney injury due to the use of rifampicin in Brucella induced spondylodiscitis

Brucellosis is the most frequently encountered zoonotic disease in regions like Turkey. Osteoarticular involvement is the most common complication, and standard treatment involves doxycycline and rifampicin. Rifampicin is generally well tolerated; however, hepatotoxicity is a known side effect, and acute kidney injury (AKI) has rarely been reported in the literature. We present a 79-year-old male with Brucella spondylodiscitis who developed progressive AKI (creatinine rising from 0.99 to 2.14 mg/dL) following 14 days of rifampicin therapy. Renal function fully recovered after rifampicin discontinuation and supportive hydration over three months. Clinicians should monitor renal function closely during rifampicin therapy and consider drug-induced AKI early, doxycycline was discontinued prior to any renal deterioration, and ciprofloxacin was continued throughout recovery, strongly implicating rifampicin as the causative agent.