Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
07:42
Nerve Excitability Assessment in Chemotherapy-induced Neurotoxicity
Published on: April 26, 2012
Moxifloxacin-associated neutropenia
Veli Berk1, Hayati Demiraslan, Elife Berk
1Deparment of Medical Oncology, Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri,Turkey. veliberk@gmail.com
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
|November 16, 2012
Summary
Moxifloxacin, an antibiotic, can cause neutropenia, a dangerous drop in white blood cells. This condition resolved after discontinuing the drug, highlighting a potential adverse effect for clinicians to monitor.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
- Hematology
Background:
- Pneumonia is a common respiratory infection requiring antibiotic treatment.
- Moxifloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic frequently prescribed for bacterial infections.
- Adverse drug reactions necessitate careful monitoring during patient treatment.
Observation:
- A 32-year-old female patient was treated with moxifloxacin for pneumonia.
- The patient developed neutropenia (low neutrophil count) on the second day of treatment.
- Neutrophil counts normalized four days after moxifloxacin was discontinued.
Findings:
- Moxifloxacin treatment was associated with the development of neutropenia.
- Discontinuation of moxifloxacin led to the recovery of neutrophil counts.
- This suggests a potential causal link between moxifloxacin and neutropenia.
Implications:
- Clinicians should consider moxifloxacin-induced neutropenia as a possible adverse effect.
- Awareness of this side effect is crucial for patient safety and prompt management.
- Monitoring complete blood counts may be warranted in patients receiving moxifloxacin, especially those at risk.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Inhibitors of Bacterial DNA Synthesis
Bacterial pathogens depend on precise and efficient DNA replication to sustain infection. Two type II topoisomerases—DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV—are critical to this process, as they resolve DNA supercoiling and unlink chromosomes during replication. Fluoroquinolones, synthetic derivatives of quinolones, exploit this mechanism by stabilizing the transient DNA–enzyme cleavage complex, preventing strand religation, and causing lethal double-strand breaks. These antibiotics are selectively...
01:28Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
Neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors are distributed across the GI tract, vagal afferents, and key CNS regions including the central vomiting center and chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) Chemotherapy agents stimulate enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to release large amounts of substance P (SP). SP is a neuropeptide released by specific sensory nerves in response to many different stressors, including those in the GI mucosa affected by chemotherapy. SP binds and activates these...
01:27Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists
5-HT3 receptor antagonists, such as dolasetron, granisetron (Kytril), ondansetron (Zofran), and palonosetron (Axoli), are crucial in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and postoperative nausea. These drugs selectively block 5-HT3 receptors in the visceral vagal and spinal afferent nerves, chemoreceptor trigger zone, and the vomiting center. They have a rapid onset of action and can be given as a single dose before chemotherapy. Ondansetron and granisetron, in particular,...
01:30Drug Toxicity: Allergic Reactions
Drug-related allergies are immune-mediated responses triggered by the administration of pharmacological agents. These hypersensitivity reactions are classified based on the immune mechanisms involved. The four primary types—Type I, II, III, and IV—are mediated by different immunological pathways and exhibit distinct clinical manifestations.Type I Hypersensitivity/ IgE-Mediated Reactions: Immunoglobulin E (IgE) immediately mediates Type I hypersensitivity reactions. Upon initial exposure to a...
01:24Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are potential complications that arise during pharmacotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Age plays a significant role; both neonates and the elderly are at heightened risk due to their respective immature and diminished metabolic and elimination processes. Gender also impacts ADRs, with females experiencing a 1.5 to 1.7-fold greater risk than males, which may be linked to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and hormonal differences. Notably, neonates, the...
01:24Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions
Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...