Recent research suggests that fluoroquinolones, a popular class of antibiotic medications, may be linked to an increased risk of patients developing an aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection, both life threatening conditions.

Cipro, Levaquin and Avelox are the most common of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. These medications are used to treat a number of different types of bacterial infections including urinary tract infections, pneumonia, pelvic inflammatory disease, and skin, joint and bone infections, among others.

Older research had already established that fluoroquinolone use could be linked to tendon rupture and peripheral neuropathy. The recent research, published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine in October 2015, found that the use of fluoroquinolones may cause the aorta, the body’s main artery carrying blood away from the heart, to become enlarged.

The study was conducted at National Taiwan University’s Department of Emergency Medicine and compared 1,477 case patients with 147,700 control cases. Each patient who was hospitalized due to aortic aneurysm or dissection was matched with 100 control patients based on age and sex.

The research findings suggest that current use (within 60 days of the aneurysm or dissection) of fluoroquinolones such as Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox increase the risk of aneurysm nearly 2.5 times. Past use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics were also linked with an increased risk of nearly 1.5 times.

The study concluded, “Use of fluoroquinolones was associated with an increased risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection. While these were rare events, physicians should be aware of this possible drug safety risk associated with fluoroquinolone therapy.”

Aortic Aneurysm and Aortic Dissection

An aortic aneurysm is an unusual bulge or enlargement in the aorta. The aorta begins at the heart and supplies blood to all of the body’s organs. An aneurysm can occur in the abdomen, called an abdominal aortic aneurysm, or it can occur in the chest, causing a thoracic aortic aneurysm.

An aneurysm can be compared to the weakened area of a garden hose. With enough pressure, a thinned area in a garden hose may bulge out and due to the weakness in the wall of the hose, it is more likely to burst. A ruptured aneurysm is very serious, and following the event, only half of patients survive.

An aortic dissection occurs when the lining of the aorta tears, allowing blood to enter within the wall of the aorta. When the blood enters in between the layers in the aorta lining, it can tear the aorta layers and separate them from one another.

Aortic dissection can lead to aortic aneurysm and rupture, or it can cause restriction of blood flow to the body’s organs, which can in turn lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and paralysis.

Lawsuits Due to Damage from Fluoroquinolones

A large number of lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of fluoroquinolones alleging that the class of antibiotics caused individuals to suffer from permanent peripheral neuropathy and permanent nerve damage. The number of lawsuits with similar allegations was so large, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) consolidated the lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation.

The cases are currently being heard under U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. The allegations in the lawsuit center around the manufacturers’ failure to adequately warn patients and physicians about the risk of peripheral neuropathy resulting from the use of fluoroquinolones.

Filing a Fluoroquinolone Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has suffered from an aordic aneurysm or aortic dissection after having used fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox or others, you may be entitled to legal compensation. An experienced fluoroquinolone attorney can provide you with a free case review and can discuss your options to pursue a legal claim.