fluoroquinolone

fluoroquinolone /flu·o·ro·quin·o·lone/ (-kwin´o-lōn) any of a subgroup of fluorine-substituted quinolones, having a broader spectrum of activity than nalidixic acid.

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fluor·o·quin·o·lone (flr-kwn-ln, flôr-)

n.

Any of a group of broad-spectrum antibiotics that are fluorinated derivatives of quinolone compounds and are especially effective against gram-negative bacteria.

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fluoroquinolone

[floo͡′okwin′olōn]

any of a subgroup of quinolones that have a broader spectrum of activity than quinolones, such as nalidixic acid.

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fluoroquinolone

a group of antibiotics which exert their antimicrobial effects by inhibiting bacterial DNA gyrase. They are effective primarily against gram-negative organisms. Includes ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, enrofloxacin.

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antibiotic 

1. Pertaining to the ability to destroy or inhibit other living organisms.

2. A substance derived from a mould or bacterium, or produced synthetically, that destroys (bactericidal) or inhibits the growth (bacteriostatic) of other microorganisms and is thus used to treat infections. Some substances have a narrow spectrum of activity whereas others act against a wide range of both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms (broad-spectrum antibiotics). Antibiotics can be classified into several groups according to their mode of action on or within bacteria: (1) Drugs inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis, such as bacitracin, vancomycin and the β-lactams based agents (e.g. penicillin, cephalosporins (e.g. ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime). (2) Drugs affecting the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, such as polymyxin B sulfate and gramicidin. (3) Drugs inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis, such as aminoglycosides (e.g. amikacin sulfate, framycetin sulfate, gentamicin, neomycin sulfate and tobramycin), tetracyclines, macrolides (e.g. erythromycin and azithromycin) and chloramphenicol. (4) Drugs inhibiting the intermediate metabolism of bacteria, such as sulfonamides (e.g. sulfacetamide sodium) and trimethoprim. (5) Drugs inhibiting bacterial DNA synthesis, such as nalixidic acid and fluoroquinolones (e.g. ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin). (6) Other antibiotics such as fusidic acid, the diamidines, such as propamidine isethionate and dibrompropamidine. Syn. antibacterial. See antiinflammatory drug; fusidic acid.

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fluoroquinolone

Antibiotics A quinolone with an added flourine on the parent quinolone structure. See Quinolone.