52
Views
32
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

The fluoroquinolones: How long will their utility last?

Pages 85-92 | Received 08 Oct 2003, Accepted 08 Dec 2003, Published online: 11 Mar 2010
 

Abstract

Injudicious use of the fluoroquinolones may result in treatment failure, increased patient morbidity, increased health care cost, and possible patient fatality. Fluoroquinolone-resistant bacteria may also adversely impact the microbiological environment in the hospital, the local community and eventually large geographical regions. Fluoroquinolone resistance develops in a stepwise fashion, and current susceptibility testing methods and recommended MIC susceptible breakpoint values for the United States may fail to identify some bacteria that are resistant due to first step mutations at the fluoroquinolone target site gene sequences. C-8 methoxy- fluoroquinolone compounds are more active against resistant bacteria than the older compounds. Fluoroquinolone resistance relates directly to human and veterinary usage and emerging bacterial resistance poses the single greatest threat to the future survival of the fluoroquinolone drugs as an antibiotic class.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.