Safety of fluoroquinolones
Abstract
Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are one of the most commonly prescribed classes of antibiotics. Although they were initially well tolerated in randomized clinical trials, subsequent epidemiological studies have reported an increased risk of threatening, severe, long-lasting, disabling and irreversible adverse effects (AEs), related to neurotoxicity and collagen degradation, such as tendonitis, Achilles tendon rupture, aortic aneurysm, and retinal detachment. This article reviews the main potentially threatening AEs, the alarms issued by regulatory agencies and therapeutic alternatives.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
Read the paper
Related studies
- 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association
- 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association
- Outpatient gatifloxacin therapy and dysglycemia in older adults
- 2019 ACCP Annual Meeting
- Comparative risk of serious hypoglycemia among persons dispensed a fluoroquinolone versus a non-fluoroquinolone antibiotic
- New Insights into the Future of Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.