My Top 5 Ciprofloxacin Clinical Pearls

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) has historically been used on a regular basis for urinary tract infections. That frequency of use changed a few years back when the boxed warnings for serious adverse effects came out. I wanted to provide my top ciprofloxacin clinical pearls that you may see in practice as well as on your board exams!

Binding Interactions

I always try to put the most common concerns I’ve encountered when sharing practice pearls. At the top of my ciprofloxacin clinical pearls list is binding interactions. When we use oral ciprofloxacin with metal cations, the absorption of ciprofloxacin can go way down and increase the risk of treatment failure. The calcium and ciprofloxacin interaction actually made my top 10 list of drug interactions a few years ago.

CYP1A2 Interactions

Ciprofloxacin is a potent CYP1A2 inhibitor. Duloxetine, tizanidine, propranolol, and zolpidem are a few examples of medications that are significantly metabolized via this pathway. The end result of the this interaction will be higher concentrations of the affected drugs. I’ve addressed a couple of case scenarios in the past on zolpidem and duloxetine.

Pseudomonas Coverage

Why is ciprofloxacin an option in hospital-acquired or ventilator-acquired pneumonia? The biggest factor in determining the answer to this question comes down to the spectrum of activity. Ciprofloxacin has activity against Pseudomonas. Pseudomonas is a highly resistant pathogen that can be a big problem in the hospital. Because this organism is a problem in HAP/VAP, ciprofloxacin is an option to help treat this type of infection.

Avoided in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of those common pathogens that can cause CAP. While Pseudomonas is a commonly associated pathogen with HAP/VAP, the CAP pathogen profile typically does NOT include Pseudomonas. Because ciprofloxacin doesn’t have great activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae, it is not considered a “respiratory fluoroquinolone” and therefore not a good option in CAP.

Boxed Warnings For Serious Adverse Effects

The FDA placed a warning on fluoroquinolone use a few years ago. According to the FDA: “fluoroquinolones, like ciprofloxacin, have been associated with disabling and potentially irreversible serious adverse reactions that have occurred together, including: tendinopathy and tendon rupture, peripheral neuropathy, and CNS effects. Discontinue ciprofloxacin immediately and avoid the use of fluoroquinolones in patients who experience any of these serious adverse reactions. Because fluoroquinolones have been associated with serious adverse reactions, reserve ciprofloxacin for use in patients who have no alternative treatment options for the following indications: acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, acute sinusitis, and acute uncomplicated cystitis.”

What other ciprofloxacin clinical pearls are important in your practice?

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