Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Linked to Aortic Aneurysms, Achilles Tendon Ruptures, Detached Retinas, and Fatalities

Recently, a rash of cases has sprung up involving fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics. Marketed under a variety of names like Cipro, Levaquin, or Avelox, these drugs are used to treat a wide variety of infections. Some sources estimate that roughly 26 million Americans are prescribed FQ antibiotics each year for a wide range of ailments, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and more.

According to a Consumer Report, the drugs may cause some serious side effects like aortic aneurysms, nerve damage, or dissections. As the largest blood vessel in the human body, damage to the aorta can cause serious implications for a patient’s health, such as strokes or heart attacks and even death in some serious cases. A dissection happens when the aortic walls deteriorate, which permits blood to seep into the outer layers of tissue. An aneurysm, on the other hand, is a bulging or enlarged part of the aorta. In many situations, these aneurysms have no symptoms and are incredibly difficult to identify. It is often not until the aneurysm bursts that the victim can tell something is wrong. Once it bursts, the victim has a 50 percent chance of surviving the event. For either an aneurysm or an aortic dissection, surgery is often required as well as a lifetime of additional medical treatment and observation.

Further exacerbating the seriousness of these risks, some of the problems associated with FQ antibiotics may not manifest until several years after the patient has completed taking the prescribed course of antibiotics.

The FDA recently advised doctors against prescribing FQ antibiotics for three common illnesses, including urinary tract infections, sinus infections, and bronchitis. According to the public health agency, the risk of the debilitating and potentially deadly side effects that can arise as a result of taking FQ drugs outweigh the benefits they may afford patients suffering from these three illnesses.

Patients who have experienced injuries or illnesses associated with taking FQ antibiotics can bring a product liability or negligence claim against the manufacturer to seek compensation for their damages. In a product liability action, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the drug was designed in a way that renders it unreasonably dangerous or that a defect during the manufacturing process made the drug unreasonably dangerous compared to other appropriately manufactured units. The drug can also be unreasonably dangerous if it does not include appropriate warnings and instructions regarding its safe use. In a negligence action, the plaintiff must show that the drug maker failed to use reasonable care when designing, manufacturing, and providing instructions or warnings about the drug.

At Moll Law Group, our Flouroquinolones attorneys have proudly assisted victims throughout the United States, including in Florida, California, Texas, and Illinois. Understanding the medical complexities of your case or going up against a big pharmaceutical corporation can seem daunting, but we have the skill and experience it takes to help you pursue the settlement or the judgment that you deserve. We offer a free consultation to help you learn about the legal remedies that may be available to you, so call us now at 312-462-1700 or contact us online.

Pennsylvania Appellate Court Reverses $28 Million Damages Award in Zimmer Knee Replacement Case

First Bellwether Trials in Xarelto Multi-District Litigation Scheduled for Early 2017