What Is Sparfloxacin?

Sparfloxacin is an antibiotic medication used to treat a number of different infectious conditions. It fights bacterial infections by inhibiting the ability of these pathogenic organisms to grow and reproduce. Common uses of sparfloxacin include pneumonia, bronchitis, and leprosy. Due to the effects that the medication can have on the heart, it is not approved for use in the United States.

The mechanism of action of sparfloxacin is to inhibit the ability of bacteria to live and reproduce. It does that by inhibiting the cellular machinery required to make copies of the bacteria’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Without being able to replicate this genetic material, bacteria cannot replicate. As a result, infections caused by these bacterial species resolve.

One of the most common uses of sparfloxacin is to treat respiratory tract infections. Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, can be treated with the medication. Bronchitis is also effectively treated using this drug. Some doctors have used the medication to treat leprosy as part of a multi-drug regimen given in attempts to eradicate this infection.

Typically, sparfloxacin is given as pills that are taken once a day. Patients generally take the medication for at least a week. Sometimes they take a higher dose of the medication on the first day of treatment, and then take lower doses for the remaining antibiotic course. The medication is also known by the trade names Zagam® and Zagam Respipac®.

Testing of safety of sparfloxacin has shown that it has some unfortunate side effects. It can affect how electrical activity is conducted through the heart, and as a result can cause the heart to beat irregularly. For this reason, the medication is not approved for use in the United States.

Common side effects of sparfloxacin include dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, and confusion. Often the medication causes patients to become more susceptible to the effects of the sun, causing sunburn and rashes. More rarely, the medication can cause chest pain and irregular heartbeats.

Doctors or other health care professionals who prescribe sparfloxacin should obtain a complete list of medications the patient is on, since a number of interactions can develop between sparfloxacin and other drugs. Medications that affect how the heart beats should not be taken with the drug, as patients could develop an increased risk for arrhythmias, or abnormal patterns of heart contractions. The efficacy of the medication could be decreased if taken with other substances, such as vitamins or antacids.