Avelox?

Specialties Cardiac

Published

Our Cardiac docs hate Avelox.

Simply put. I've long heard about not writing Levaquin for any pt with an arrhythmia, as the new quins can really get these going... but I was "educated" that Avelox was susposed to safe...

That was until I had a pt who ventured into A-fib from Avelox (or so Cardiologist said).

Unspoken policy at my hospital is that NO ONE is write a drug in this class for a cardiac pt. w/o cardiac MD approval. (We all like to keep our heads.)

Anyone else heard anything like this? I know we all know the basic nature of the beast... but sheeze!

David Adams, ARNP

-ACNP, FNP

Specializes in ICU/CCU (PCCN); Heme/Onc/BMT.

Prior to your post, I never heard of Avelox.

Did find some literature on it for anyone interested. It's a "pdf" file:

Avelox

Ted

We just switched at our facility and if we write for a IV quinolone it will automatically be changed to Avelox, unless we specifically say 'no substitution'. This is b/c there is an increased incidence of hypoglycemia with IV cipro when the patient is on oral DM agents. I have seen blood glucose levels drop to the teens and for several days b/c of the long 1/2 life of the diabetic agents you are chasing the blood sugar. I have used a lot of avelox lately and have NOT seen or heard any increase in arrhythmias. Still, food for thought and something i will keep my eye on.

Thanks for the info.

Specializes in CCU/CVU/ICU.

At my facility, the default drug is Levaquin. Our patient's are routinely given this drug with almost zero consideration to a patient's cardiac history and/or status. I personally haven't seen

Levaquin (or cipro...) be named as cause of, or an 'exacerbator'(sp?) of arrhythmias. I'll have to keep an eye out for this....hmmm. Thanks for the 'heads up'.

The whole blood glucose deal is a new one for me...

Now I get to go and play Medscape nerd......................

David Adams, ARNP

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
Originally posted by Dinith88

At my facility, the default drug is Levaquin. Our patient's are routinely given this drug with almost zero consideration to a patient's cardiac history and/or status. I personally haven't seen

Levaquin (or cipro...) be named as cause of, or an 'exacerbator'(sp?) of arrhythmias. I'll have to keep an eye out for this....hmmm. Thanks for the 'heads up'.

Ditto!!!!

I'd like to add that I absolutely loved Cipro. I felt great annoyance when P and T changed it and took it off formulary. I argued that the use of IV cipro required greater vigilance by the providers to monitor patients more closely and or perhaps we just shouldn't use it on diabetics. God forbid we ask some of the attendings to use more thought with prescribing. Nonetheless...gone .

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