FQ

Medical abbreviation · Drug Class

FQ
Stands forFluoroquinolone
CategoriesMedical

FQ stands for Fluoroquinolone, a drug class abbreviation.

Broad-spectrum oral and IV antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, that block bacterial DNA gyrase. They are highly absorbed by mouth and used for complicated urinary, respiratory and abdominal infections.

Example: Avoid FQ in this 78-year-old on prednisone given tendon rupture risk.

Usage notes

FDA boxed warnings, starting in 2008, cover tendon rupture, peripheral neuropathy, central nervous system effects and worsening of myasthenia gravis. In 2016 the FDA advised against fluoroquinolones for uncomplicated sinusitis, bronchitis and urinary infections when alternatives exist, and later warnings added low blood sugar and aortic aneurysm. Calcium, iron and antacids block their absorption.

More drug class abbreviations

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  • EC – Emergency contraception
  • ERA – Endothelin receptor antagonist
  • ERT – Enzyme replacement therapy
  • ESA – Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent
  • FGA – First-generation antipsychotic
  • GC – Glucocorticoid
  • GIP/GLP-1 RA – Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like…
  • GLP-1 RA – Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist
  • GnRHa – Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist
  • GPI – Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor
  • H2RA – Histamine-2 receptor antagonist

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.