23 Aug Fluoroquinolones Linked To Increased Risk of Peripheral Neuropathy

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Mahyar Etminan PharmD, MSc
Scientist I Pharmaceutical Outcomes Programme (POPi)
Faculty of Medicine | Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
The University of British Columbia | Child and Family Research Institute (CFRI) Vancouver, BC

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Eiminan: Current users of Fluoroquinolones are at a twice their risk of developing peripheral neuropathy than non users.

Medical Research: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Eiminan: No but this is the largest and only epidemiologic study confirming a previously proposed hypothesis.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Eiminan: Fluoroquinolones should only be warranted for serious established bacterial infections. Patients who need to be on Fluoroquinolones should be informed about the possibility of developing peripheral neuropathy and be familiarized with the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Eiminan: Our study should be replicated by future studies. One question we couldn’t answer was the magnitude of risk in women.

Citation:

Oral fluoroquinolone use and risk of peripheral neuropathy: A pharmacoepidemiologic study

Mahyar Etminan, James M. Brophy, and Ali Samii

Neurology WNL.0000000000000846; published ahead of print August 22, 2014

Last Updated on August 23, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD