Can levofloxacin be used during pregnancy?

Every medicine has a group of people who are suitable for its use. So, can pregnant women take levofloxacin tablets? Regarding the administration of levofloxacin, let's take a look at the scientific analysis below.

After oral administration, it is completely absorbed and the relative dissolution rate is close to 100%. After taking a single dose of 0.1g and 0.2g orally on an empty stomach, the peak blood concentration (Cmax) reached 1.36mg/L and 3.06mg/L respectively, and the time to peak (Tmax) was about 1 hour. The blood clearance half-life (t1/2β) of the drug is approximately 5.1 to 7.1 hours. The protein fusion rate is about 30% to 40%. After digestion and absorption, this product is widely distributed in various tissues and blood. The ratio of concentration value to half-life in tissues and blood such as tonsillitis, male prostate tissue, sputum, tear film, female reproductive system tissue, skin and saliva is approximately between 1.1 and 2.1. This product is mainly metabolized in the kidneys in its original form and is rarely metabolized in the body. The amount excreted in urine within 48 hours after oral administration is about 80% to 90% of the dose. This product is excreted in small amounts in the feces in its original form, and the accumulated excretion within 72 hours after administration is less than 4% of the administered dose.

This product has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect and strong antibacterial effect. It has extremely strong antibacterial specificity for most Enterobacteriaceae, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Salmonella, Shigella and Gram-negative bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It also has antibacterial effects on Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pneumococcus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Mycoplasma pneumonia and Chlamydia pneumoniae, but its effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus is weaker. This product is the levorotatory form of levofloxacin, and its antibacterial specificity outside the body is approximately twice that of levofloxacin. Its mechanism of action is to inhibit the activity of bacterial DNA rotase, blocking the production and replication of bacterial DNA and causing the death of bacteria.

Clinical trials have not confirmed that quinolones have any teratogenic effect on fetuses, but scientific studies on their use in pregnant women have not yielded definitive results. Since this drug can cause osteoarthritis in animals under the age of 18, it is prohibited for pregnant women to use it.