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Fluoroquinolones Essay

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Fluoroquinolones(FQs) antibiotics were first introduced in the US market in the 1980s.1 Since their introduction, FQs have been used extensively to treat a wide range of infections. 2 Initially, these agents were used to treat infections caused by gram negative bacteria. However, newer agents in this class have gained further coverage of gram positive bacteria, atypical pathogens and even anaerobes. 3 FQs have a distinctive mechanism of action as they are the only class of antimicrobial agents in clinical use that are direct inhibitors of bacterial DNA synthesis. 3
Overall, FQs antibiotics are well tolerated by most individuals but can cause a range of serious adverse events. The most common adverse events associated with this class of antibiotics include gastrointestinal distress, central nervous system disturbances and cardiovascular manifestations. Other adverse events associated with FQs include toxicity to the liver, hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, increased sensitivity to the light, allergic reactions, tendonitis and tendon rupture. 4 The risk of these last two has been emphasized by the issuance of a boxed warning by the FDA for FQs in July, 2008.5 The …show more content…

A systematic literature review of FQ-associated tendon injury reports published during 1966-2001 revealed that pefloxacin and ciprofloxacin to be the most frequently implicated agents. This review, however, was before the issuance of the boxed warning and was limited to 98 reports. 1 A recent case-crossover study based on the The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database was conducted to identify risk factors associated FQ-associated tendon injury. The study concluded that the risk is more evident among elderly, lean, and individuals who used corticosteroids concomitantly.7 Nonetheless, the risk was assessed for the FQs as a class and not for each individual

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