In Germany, it is still often fluoroquinolones are prescribed. This is certain antibiotics can have serious side effects. Although these risks have been known for years, received 2018, more than three million of all statutory health insured patients in Germany, the appropriate preparations.
This corresponds to about five percent of all statutory health insured persons, as is clear from calculations of the Scientific Institute of the health insurance Fund AOK (WIdO) shows. 40,000 of the patients could be affected in the cracks, therefore, as a result of the antibiotics-taking Tendon, damage to the nervous system, as well as the main artery.
Antibiotics of the group of fluoroquinolones are considered highly effective and are widely used, such as in the case of urinary tract infections, tonsillitis, or acute Bronchitis. Doctors prescribe the means, even if other medications fail. They act, for example, in the case of the dreaded hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with necrotizing inflammation of the pancreas, or the spleen fire exciter.
However, the antibiotics can cause severe side effects, mainly on muscles, joints and the nervous system. This includes tendonitis, Tendon tears, muscle pain, nervous disorders, insomnia, depression, fatigue or impaired memory include. Some of the side effects occur for months to years and might exist permanently. (Read more about it here.)
At the beginning of April, the Doctors were in a so-called Red-Hand letter “the quality of life for debilitating, long-lasting and possibly irreversible side effects,” warned and asked to prescribe antibiotics only in exceptional cases. Some of the funds have been withdrawn from the European market.
Unreported
Although only a few cases of side effects are documented. However, it is assumed that a high number of unreported cases, since the symptoms are not recognized for a long time, always as a side effect. In Germany, the following compounds are affected:
- Ciprofloxacin
- Levofloxacin
- Moxifloxacin
- Norfloxacin
- Ofloxacin
In tonsillitis, acute Bronchitis, or for the prevention of urinary tract infections may no longer be used. In the case of chronic pulmonary inflammation disease, or bladder, they only come in question when other antibiotics fail or, for example, because of incompatibilities must be excluded. Doctors should not treat older people with fluoroquinolone. This also applies to patients with impaired renal function, or after organ transplants.
In the last year-prescribed, Doctors in Germany, according to WIdO, around 310 million antibiotic daily doses, of which 8.2 percent was attributable to fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
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