Facts you need to know about Antibiotics (part 1): General Principles

Antibiotic. One of the most important group of medicine that ever discovered, remarked the decreasing of infectious disease drastically in 20th century. With more if its power, comes more fear that antibiotic era will end some day. To prevent that from happening, we should know several facts about antibiotic. This serial article will describe anything about antibiotics and their principles of usage.

Fluoroquinolones: Behind the Famous Broad Spectrum Antibiotic

Fluoroquinolone is one of antibiotic/antimicrobial class with the highest prescriptions rate worldwide. This antibiotic works as an inhibitor of gyrase enzyme, and/or topoisomerase II/IV. These enzymes are vital for bacterial DNA synthesis or replication process.

There are four generations of quinolones:

First generation: nalidixic acid, nitrofurantoin. Usually used in urinary tract infection. This group was called old quinolones.
Second generation: ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and lomefloxacin. From this generation on, the next groups are called new quinolones/fluoroquinolones; due to their systemic effect.
Third generation: gatifloxacin, gemifloxacin, grepafloxacin, sparfloxacin
Fourth generation: moxifloxacin, trovafloxacin

Ciprofloxacin: How is the safety in Children?

Ciprofloxacin, just like other fluoroquinolones, is not recommended for infectious diseases children; due to concern of potential arthropathy and development disturbances risk. All ciprofloxacin labels worldwide list children and adolescent under age of 18 as contraindication of all fluoroquinolones. But how about the experiences?