Certain types of antibiotics have been linked with massive problems with the aorta including aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including Levaquin, are connected with these potentially life-threatening problems.

The possibility of a Levaquin aortic aneurysm should be of real concern to those taking Levaquin to treat certain infections.

What is a Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic?

The fluoroquinolone antibiotic class of antibiotics include such drugs as Levaquin, Cipro, Factive, Avelox, Floxin, and Noroxin. They are often used to treat respiratory infections or urinary tract infections.

Additionally, they can be used to treat pneumonia, sinusitis, bacterial bronchitis, septicemia and intra-abdominal infections. Joint and bone infections, soft tissue and skin infections, typhoid fever, bacterial gastroenteritis, urethral and gynecological infections, pelvic inflammatory disease and other infections can also be treated by Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics work by blocking the DNA replication pathway of bacteria. Over twenty million fluoroquinolone antibiotic prescriptions are written annually to treat infections.

However, there can be devastating side effects associated with certain fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Levaquin aortic aneurysm, aortic disease or aortic dissection.

Levaquin Aortic Aneurysm Risks

According to a MedicalXpress article, fluoroquinolones have been linked with higher incidents of aortic disease. “New research from a Swedish and Danish team of researchers led from Karolinska Institutet lend additional support to a link between treatment with fluoroquinolone antibiotics and an increased risk of acute aortic disease,” the website states.

Looking at data from Swedish national health registers, researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Lund University in Sweden and Statens Serum Institut in Denmark looked at the risks of aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm in patients who took fluoroquinolones versus those who took other types of antibiotics such as amoxicillin.

The researchers analyzed 360,000 treatment episodes for fluoroquinolones as well as the same amount for amoxicillin patients. They determined that there was a 66 percent increased risk of massive aortic problems like Levaquin aortic aneurysm when compared with patients who took other types of antibiotics.

There was a difference of 82 cases per one million, and researchers feel as if, even though this may seem like a small difference, there is enough of a difference to consider its significance.

The study leader, Björn Pasternak, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Medicine, Solna, said,  “Although the absolute risk increase was relatively small, the study’s findings should be interpreted in the context of the widespread use of fluoroquinolones. Our overall objective is to help inform clinical practice through high-quality evidence,” according to MedicalXpress.

What is a Levaquin Aortic Aneurysm?

Fluoroquinolones may come with risks of aortic disease including aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection. Levaquin aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection can threaten the life of an affected patient.

A Levaquin aortic aneurysm is essentially a bulge in the aorta. The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body, traveling through the center of the body and delivering blood. A bulge can burst, resulting in an aortic dissection. An aortic dissection is a tear in the aorta.

If you have taken Levaquin and are concerned about the possibility of a Levaquin aortic aneurysm, you may be eligible for a Levaquin aortic aneurysm lawsuit. Contacting an experienced attorney can help you determine your options.