What is Trovan used for?
Trovan is a quinolone antibiotic. It is used to treat a broad range of ailments from minor skin infections to severe infections in hospitalized patients such as respiratory, abdominal,and urinary tract infections. It is also used as a prophylaxis before surgery.
How Long is it Normally Used?
The FDA is informing physicians that therapy with Trovan should not continue longer than 14 days. It should be discontinued sooner if the patient experiences any clinical signs of liver dysfunction.
Are Doctors Still Prescribing Trovan?
On June 9, 1999, FDA issued a public health advisory to physicians concerning the risks of liver toxicity associated with the use of Trovan (trovafloxacin, an oral antibiotic) and Trovan-IV (alatrofloxacin, the intranvenous formulation of the drug). Trovan is an antibiotic used to treat many different types of infections. Trovafloxacin was approved for marketing in December, 1997, and became available on the market in February, 1998.
The FDA warning said this action is being taken to “reduce the potential risk from Trovan, while at the same time preserving for physicians and patients alike the clincal option of an affective broad spectrum antibiotic for serious and life-threatening infections”.
Dr. David Parenti of George Washington University Medical Center states: “Given this advisory, I think we’ll be less likely to use this compound, considering there are other alternatives available.”
The FDA is informing physicians that Trovan should be used only in certain patients who must meet the criteria they have outlined.
Has Anyone Tried to Have Trovan Removed from the Market?
The Washington, DC-based consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to immediately take Pfizer’s antibiotic trovafloxacin (Trovan) off the market due to reports of serious liver damage in patients taking the drug.
What are the Side Effects?
Trovan may cause some people to become dizzy, lightheaded, or less alert than they are normally. Diarrhea (mild); headache; nausea or vomiting; vaginal pain and discharge are also normal side effects. Less common side effects are: Increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight. Abdominal or stomach cramps and pain (severe); abdominal tenderness; agitation; confusion; diarrhea (watery and severe, which may also be bloody); difficulty in breathing or swallowing; fever; hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); pain at place of injection; pain in calves that spreads to heels; rapid heartbeat; shakiness or tremors; shortness of breath; skin rash, itching, or redness; swelling of face, throat, or tongue; swelling of calves or lower legs.
Note: Some of the above side effects may also occur up to several weeks after you stop taking this medicine.
Do Trovan Users Have A Right To Be Compensated For Any Health Problems Caused By Trovan?
If Trovan has caused you or a loved one significant physical damage, you may be entitled to a large compensatory award. You must protect those legal rights before they lapse by passage of time and are barred by various states’ statutes of limitations. You should contact an attorney to evaluate your rights. Many valuable legal rights are lost everyday because of people’s failure to take legal precautions.