title: Intravenous ciprofloxacin for the treatment of severe infections.
abstract: Intravenous ciprofloxacin at a daily dosage of 400 mg divided in two doses was administered to 19 patients with severe infections caused by ciprofloxacin-susceptible bacteria. These infections included: 11 surgical would infections, 5 soft tissue infections, 2 respiratory tract infections, 1 urinary tract infection. The offending pathogens were: 8 coagulase-negative staphylococci, 3 Staphylococcus aureus, 3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 2 Proteus spp., 1 Escherichia coli, 1 Branhamella catarrhalis, 1 Klebsiella ozenae and 1 Serratia liquefaciens. Overall, 17 of 19 infections (89%) showed a satisfactory clinical response to trial therapy (15 cures and 2 improvements). Microbiological eradication was observed in 17 out of 20 isolated pathogens. Emergence of resistance to ciprofloxacin occurred in 1 coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and was associated with clinical failure. No side effects were observed. We conclude that intravenous ciprofloxacin may represent efficacious and safe therapy of severe infections; however close microbiological monitoring seems to be necessary to evaluate the emergence of resistance during quinolone therapy.
authors.affiliation: Patologia Medica II-Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venditti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gelfusa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarasi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandimarte
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D002939:Ciprofloxacin