Fluoroquinolones

Fluoroquinolones

Fluoroquinolones (pronounced: floor-oh-kwin-oh-lones) are a type of antibiotic that is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. The term "fluoroquinolone" is derived from the chemical structure of these drugs, which includes a central ring system that is a quinolone with a fluorine atom attached.

History

Fluoroquinolones were first developed in the 1960s, with the introduction of norfloxacin. The addition of a fluorine atom to the quinolone structure significantly increased the drugs' effectiveness and safety profile.

Mechanism of Action

Fluoroquinolones work by inhibiting the bacterial enzymes DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, which are necessary for bacterial DNA replication, transcription, repair, and recombination. This leads to the death of the bacteria and the resolution of the infection.

Types of Fluoroquinolones

There are several different types of fluoroquinolones, including:

• Ciprofloxacin
• Levofloxacin
• Moxifloxacin
• Ofloxacin
• Norfloxacin

Each of these drugs has a slightly different spectrum of activity and side effect profile.

Side Effects

Common side effects of fluoroquinolones include nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness. More serious side effects can include tendon rupture, nerve damage, and mental health problems. Due to these potential side effects, fluoroquinolones are typically reserved for serious bacterial infections that have not responded to other treatments.

Resistance

Resistance to fluoroquinolones has been increasing in recent years, particularly among Gram-negative bacteria. This is a significant concern, as fluoroquinolones are one of the few classes of antibiotics that are effective against these types of bacteria.

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Fluoroquinolones
• Wikipedia's article - Fluoroquinolones

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

---

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski