Why is fosfomycin rarely used?

[Davidbrown05]

Fosfomycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is effective against a variety of bacteria, including gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. It is available as an oral tablet and as an intravenous infusion.

Fosfomycin is rarely used for a number of reasons:

• It has a narrow therapeutic window. This means that the difference between the effective dose and the toxic dose is small. This makes it difficult to use fosfomycin safely, especially in older adults and people with kidney disease.
• It is not effective against all bacteria. Fosfomycin is not effective against some bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae.
• It can cause side effects. The most common side effects of fosfomycin are diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
• There are other antibiotics that are more effective and have a wider safety margin. For example, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin are both broad-spectrum antibiotics that are effective against a wide range of bacteria and have a wider safety margin than fosfomycin.

Despite its limitations, fosfomycin is still used in some cases, such as:

• To treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) in patients who are allergic to other antibiotics.
• To treat UTIs in pregnant women.
• To treat UTIs in patients with kidney disease.
• To treat traveler's diarrhea.

Fosfomycin is also used in some countries to treat pneumonia and other serious infections.

Overall, fosfomycin 3gm sachet is a useful antibiotic, but it is important to be aware of its limitations and potential side effects. It should only be used when other antibiotics are not available or are not effective.

Here are some additional research-backed reasons why fosfomycin is rarely used:

• Fosfomycin is not effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Multidrug-resistant bacteria are bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Fosfomycin is not effective against many of these bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae.
• Fosfomycin is not as effective as other antibiotics against some infections. For example, fosfomycin is not as effective as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin against pneumonia.
• Fosfomycin is more expensive than other antibiotics. The cost of fosfomycin can be a barrier to its use, especially in developing countries.

Despite these limitations, fosfomycin is still a valuable antibiotic that can be used to treat a variety of infections. However, it is important to use it judiciously and to be aware of its limitations.