title: The comparative activity of fleroxacin, three other quinolones and eight unrelated antimicrobial agents.
abstract: The in vitro activity of fleroxacin, a new trifluorinated quinolone was evaluated against 432 bacterial isolates. Fleroxacin was 1- to 2-fold less active than ciprofloxacin and at least as active as ofloxacin and lomefloxacin against most members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The MICs of fleroxacin for 90% of strains tested (MIC90) were < or = 0.25 micrograms/ml against all isolates of Enterobacteriaceae except Citrobacter freundii (MIC90, 4 micrograms/ml) and Serratia marcescens (MIC90, 2 micrograms/ml). Fleroxacin was as active as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and lomefloxacin against Pseudomonas spp, (MIC90 for all quinolones tested were > 8 micrograms/ml). Acinetobacter and Haemophilus influenzae were very susceptible to fleroxacin; however fleroxacin was 1-fold less active than lomefloxacin against Acinetobacter and at least 1-fold less active than ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin against H. influenzae. Methicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis and methicillin-susceptible strains of S. aureus were very susceptible to fleroxacin, with an MIC90 < or = 1 microgram/ml (range 0.5-1 microgram/ml). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus and Staphylococcus spp. other than aureus and epidermidis were not susceptible to fleroxacin (MIC90 > 8 micrograms/ml). In addition, fleroxacin as well as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and lomefloxacin were inactive against Enterococcus spp. (MIC90 > 8 micrograms/ml). Streptococcus pneumoniae and S. pyogenes were resistant to both fleroxacin and lomefloxacin but were very susceptible to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. These results suggest that fleroxacin represents a valid therapeutic option in the treatment of infections caused by most Enterobacteriaceae and some species of staphylococcus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hartford Hospital, CT 06115.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: McCarter
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mazens-Sullivan
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects; D016576:Fleroxacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015363:Quinolones / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D015363:Quinolones; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; C053091:lomefloxacin; D016576:Fleroxacin