Levofloxacin in the treatment of community acquired pneumonia.
Levofloxacin is the first fluoroquinolone with enhanced activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae to be released in Canada. In vitro, it is active against more than 99% of isolates of S pneumoniae, even those resistant to penicillin. It is also active against respiratory pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Legionella species. When given orally, bioavailability is greater than 99%, and the drug is highly concentrated in lung tissue and macrophages. Drug levels are compatible with once-daily dosing. In a large clinical trial, levofloxacin has shown clinical and microbiological superiority compared with ceftriaxone/cefuroxime. The characteristics of levofloxacin - high oral bioavailability, long duration of effect, activity against key respiratory pathogens and high tolerability - suggest that it will be a useful drug in the treatment of community acquired pneumonia.
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Infectious Disease Section, Summa Health System, Akron, Ohio, USA. filet@summan-health.org
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002444:Cefuroxime / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D002444:Cefuroxime