Fluoroquinolones
TERM
□ ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
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The fluoroquinolones are a fairly new group of antibiotics that are both broad-spectrum and synthetic. They are considered to be very powerful in their range of activity and are bactericidal while having few adverse reactions. Even though this group of medications is new, there is a great deal of microbial resistance that has developed due to the misuse of these drugs. The fluoroquinolones can be given orally, parenterally, and topically, although many are given only in the oral form as they have excellent absorption. Due to this, many infections that required hospitalization for intravenous medication treatment can now be treated on an outpatient basis with these oral drugs. They are absorbed by the GI tract and well distributed in the body. The principal organ for excretion is the kidneys. These drugs are found in breast milk, and they cross the placenta.
Table 7-1 Fluroquinolones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FLUOROQUINOLONE CLIENT TEACHING
Any sudden joint pain should be reported.
Stop use of caffeine.
No breast-feeding
No driving or performing activities that require close attention until reaction to drug is known.