ANTIBIOTIC LEADS TO TENDON RUPTURES; FDA IGNORES RISKS

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[healthy.net]

 

ANTIBIOTIC LEADS TO TENDON RUPTURES; FDA IGNORES RISKS

Despite long-standing evidence that fluoroquinolone antibiotics can

cause tendon ruptures, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has failed

to increase its warnings to patients and physicians about the dangers of

the medicines. From November 1997 through December 2005, the FDA

received 262 reports of tendon ruptures, mainly of the Achilles tendon,

258 cases of tendinitis and 274 cases of other tendon disorders in

patients using fluoroquinolone antibiotics. An additional 74 tendon

ruptures have subsequently been reported to the FDA for a total of 336.

Because only a small fraction of cases are typically reported to the

FDA, the actual number of ruptures and other tendon injuries

attributable to the antibiotic is much higher.

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