Quinilones are synthetic antibacterial drugs used for the treatment of urinary tract infections. Quinilones are effective in the fight against bacteria because they prevent bacterial DNA from unwinding and multiplying. This unwinding and duplicating process is how bacteria spread and infect different parts of the body. Quinolones in the clinical setting belong to the subset fluoroquinolones. Health care providers have recently raised awareness on infrequent toxicities associated with some of these types of drugs and drug classes. The safety of quinilones is in question and some people in the medical world are not convinced the benefits outweigh the risks these drugs may pose. There are certain steps that can be taken to protect a patient that include continued surveillance of safety and collecting tolerability data.
Medical researcher RC Owens Jr. from the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Pharmacy Services, at the Maine Medical Center, in Portland, Maine, worked on a review titled “Antimicrobial Safety: Focus on Fluoroquinolones”, where one major aim was to assess the safety and tolerability of quinolones in human subjects. The review found that negative event’s associated with the quinolone class was headaches, dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea. These adverse events have to do with the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. Effects on the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system were mild and usually did not require the use of the medication to end. While most side effects were not serious, complications with the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, endocrine system, renal system, and central nervous system included tendinitis, tendon rupture, glucose homeostasis dysregulation, acute renal failure, and seizures. The above complications (while uncommon) are serious and may cause the discontinuation of the therapy.
Author RC Owens Jr. states “Severe idiosyncratic adverse events are specific to individual agents that may share some structural congruity, such as the 1-(2,4)-difluorophenyl group shared by trovafloxacin (associated with hepatitis), temafloxacin (associated with hemolytic-uremic syndrome), and tosufloxacin (associated with eosinophilic pneumonitis)”. This means that negative behavioral characteristics are specific to individual agents that are structurally similar and that shape determines their functions and qualities. Rates of discontinuation for the currently marketed quinolones were seen at 4 percent from clinical trials. Trovafloxacin and grepafloxacin are no longer available for general use due to their higher discontinuation rates (7% and 6.4 %).
In conclusion, this report found that the safety of marketed quinolones is similar to other antimicrobial classes. Adverse effects are unusual but central nervous system effects are more common with the quinolone class. Some susceptible populations may be more prone to rare adverse effects due to certain genetic factors, but this can be prevented by avoiding the specific quinolone. It is not 100 percent clear if the therapeutic value outweighs the potential risks associated with the quinolone class.
Due to the fact that a number of people have used the drug Cipro (an oral quinolone) unaware of the risks associated with the drug, a number of Cipro lawsuits have been filed. If you or a loved one used Cipro and experienced negative Cipro side-effects, do not hesitate to contact our team of Cipro lawyers at Dangerous Drugs for you may be entitled to significant financial compensation for the undue injury you have endured.
For more information, or for a free, no-obligation Cipro lawsuit consultation, reach our offices at the information provided below. We have the experience, resources, and skills required to win the justice you deserve.
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