There are many antibiotics available to patients who need them. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone family to treat serious bacterial infections. One such antibiotic is Levaquin.

However, the risk of serious side effects from fluoroquinolones including abdominal aortic aneurysm are of concern to the medical community, to doctors and to patients.

Levaquin, generically known as levofloxacin, is a fluoroquinolone. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics work by stopping the replication of bacteria in their DNA pathway.

Levaquin was approved 20 years ago in 1998 and has been a successful drug for many years. However, recent research has connected Levaquin and other similar antibiotics with aortic problems including abdominal aortic aneurysm.

In fact, these new statistics suggest that patients taking antibiotics like Levaquin may be two or three times more likely to experience aortic complications than those who are not taking fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

Aorta Risks

The aorta is the main artery of the body. It takes blood that has been oxygenated by the lungs to the rest of the body and circulatory system. The aorta is large, about one inch in diameter, and has several layers that provide both a smooth place for the blood to pass over and support to the aortic wall.

There are many types of complications that can occur with the aorta. Some of these dangerous conditions are associated with antibiotics like Levaquin. These aortic complications include aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm, including the possibility of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

An aortic aneurysm is when there is a bulge in the side of the aorta. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is when this dangerous bulge in the aorta occurs near the abdomen. This can be caused by high blood pressure or, as discovered more recently, Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones.

When an abdominal aortic aneurysm or other type of aortic aneurysm occurs, it may rupture, causing aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection is when the aorta experiences a tear, rupture or split, often as a result of an abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortic aneurysm.

Fluoroquinolone Dangers

A few years ago, two different studies were published that connected the use of fluoroquinolones like Levaquin with the breakdown of aortic tissue due to collagen damage.

Tendon ruptures have been associated with Levaquin and other antibiotics in the same drug class, so researchers wanted to see if the same collagen disruption linked to tendon rupture could also affect the aortic wall. As they suspected, the two possible conditions were related and most likely were affected by the breakdown of collagen in the body due to fluoroquinolone use.

According to these studies, patients who used fluoroquinolones like Levaquin experienced a 123 to  143 percent heightened risk of aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm. Patients who no longer take fluorquinolones also have an 48 percent higher risk of developing aortic complications than those who have never taken them.

If you or someone you love has taken Levaquin and has been diagnosed with aortic dissection, abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortic aneurism, you may benefit from speaking wth an experienced attorney. An attorney can help you determine the right legal path for you.