Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2006
Comparative StudyEffect of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin on the QT interval: is this a significant "clinical" event?
The widespread use of the fluoroquinolones has raised the question of the cardiac safety of these medications. This widespread use of this class of antibiotics has displayed their safety profile, which is actually more favorable than many other drug classes. The cardiac toxicity issue at the center of this discussion is the prolongation of the QT interval leading to torsade de pointes. Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, two of the more commonly used fluoroquinolones, are considered less likely than other fluoroquinolones to prolong the QT interval. The authors set out to evaluate the effect on the QT interval of patients after administration of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. ⋯ Neither levofloxacin nor ciprofloxacin significantly prolonged the mean QTc interval over baseline. When electrolyte deficiencies in one of the patients evaluated were taken into account, this also held true for the longest QTc interval. There is, therefore, evidence that taking ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin, assuming that there are not any concurrent risk factors, will not cause a significant prolongation in the QT interval.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2006
Comparative StudyComparison of ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block versus spinal anesthesia for inguinal herniorrhaphy.
This study was carried out to determine the optimal anesthetic technique for use in elective herniorrhaphy. ⋯ The use of IHNB for patients undergoing herniorrhaphy resulted in a shorter time-to-home readiness, quicker oral intake post surgery, and no need for recovery room care, when compared with the use of SA.