Doctors to prescribe the widely used group of Antibiotics of the fluoroquinolones due to serious side effects only very limited. The Federal Institute for drugs and medical devices (BfArM) said on Monday. The medication should not be used to “light and medium-heavy infections”. In doing so, the active ingredients of Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Norfloxacin and Ofloxacin. Overall, products from more than 30 pharmaceutical manufacturers are affected.
The marketing authorisation holder of the medicines inform Doctors and other healthcare professionals with a so-called Red-Hand-letter. In addition, the package inserts of the medications to be changed. The new rules are the result of a European risk-assessment procedure.
special caution in Elderly and renal disease patients
“Certain serious side effects of fluoroquinolones can stop, reduce the quality of life and may be irreversible,” writes the BfArM. Affected are mainly the Tendons, muscles, joints and the nervous system. At the first sign of these serious side effects, the treatment should be terminated. They occur, according to the very rare. Special care should be taken, among other things, in the elderly and in patients with impaired renal function, writes the BfArM.
fluoroquinolone antibiotics were used in Germany to date relatively frequently. According to the Scientific Institute of the AOK, around five million packs of fluoroquinolone were prescribed in the year 2017 containing antibiotics. In the future, the medication should not be used, for example, for acute Bronchitis, tonsillitis, and for the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea.
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The BfArM made it clear: “fluoroquinolones diseases are an important treatment option against different infections, including some life-threatening, for which other antibiotics are not sufficiently effective.” The medical decision to prescribe fluoroquinolones should only be used after a careful Benefit-risk assessment in the individual case taken. (dpa)