If a client is allergic to ciprofloxacin, which antibiotic class might they also react to?

The rationale behind the answer being fluoroquinolones lies in the fact that ciprofloxacin is a specific type of fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Clients who are allergic to ciprofloxacin may have a sensitivity to other drugs within the same class due to structural similarities. Allergies can manifest through various mechanisms, and those with a known allergy to one member of a drug class often have an increased risk of developing an allergic reaction to other members of that same class.

In this instance, because ciprofloxacin belongs to the fluoroquinolone group, it’s prudent to consider that individuals with an allergy to it could also experience reactions to other fluoroquinolones, like levofloxacin or moxifloxacin. Therefore, caution should be exercised in prescribing these medications.

The other antibiotic classes listed—beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, and macrolides—do not share a structural similarity with fluoroquinolones and thus do not carry the same risk of cross-reactivity with a ciprofloxacin allergy.