EN
Fluoroquinolones are a group of antimicrobial agents which are widely used in human and veterinary medicine. These drugs may cause interactions with other compounds. The paper describes the latest views concerning interactions between fluoroquinolones and metal cations. Simultaneous administration of fluoroquinolones with 2- and 3-valent cations causes a significant decrease in the bioavailability of these drugs due to the effect of chelating cations by carboxylate and the carbonyl group of fluoroquinolone. These interactions may result in an inefficient antimicrobial therapy and, in order to prevent this occurring, spaced dosing of fluoroquinolones and a formulation containing metal cations is recommended.