Guidelines presented for fluoroquinolone use in children

(HealthDay)—In a clinical report published online Oct. 31 in Pediatrics, guidelines are presented for the use of systemic and topical fluoroquinolones in children.

Mary Anne Jackson, M.D., and colleagues from the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases discuss the use of systemic and topical fluoroquinolones in children.

The researchers note that fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum agents which should be considered for use in specific situations. These include infection caused by a multidrug-resistant pathogen for which there is no alternative that is safe and effective, and for situations in which oral fluoroquinolone therapy is an acceptable alternative to parenteral non-fluoroquinolone therapy. Fluoroquinolones may also represent a preferred option or an acceptable alternative to standard therapy due to concerns of antimicrobial resistance, toxicity, or tissue penetration characteristics.

"In the case of fluoroquinolones, as is appropriate with all antimicrobial agents, prescribing clinicians should verbally review common, anticipated, potential adverse events, such as rash, diarrhea, and potential musculoskeletal or neurologic events and indicate why a fluoroquinolone is the most appropriate antibiotic agent for a child's infection," the authors write.